Fleeting Moments
by Captain J of the Black Baron
Summary: A Year after his initiation as a Guardian, Jack Frost has been called to the North Pole once again. Confronted by Father Time himself, Jack is thrust into the past to protect a woman from Pitchs' clutches. While there, Jack finds himself falling blissfully in love with the Queen of Arendelle, but the clock keeps ticking and time is running out. Jelsa fic! Jack Frost x Elsa
1. A Chance Coincidence

Freeze Time

"Tempus enim non cessat. Time stops for no man Jack Frost."

Chapter 1

A Chance Coincidence

Though no one could hear it, the sound of laughter filled the streets of a southwestern town while snow and ice began to blanket the quiet neighborhoods. It was mid December and the Guardian of Fun always liked to make this particular area of the world just a little colder than it should be—after all, the kids in this area rarely got to see snow, so why not let them have a day or two of fun? Jumping from building to building, Jack Frost grinned as he watched the snow he create dance around the street lights and stick to the ground to make the streets cold and icy; the kids were going to have quite the surprise when they woke up! Leaping to a nearby pole that housed a large faced clock, Jack balanced himself atop it, his bare toes curling around the metal as he squatted down to inspect his handiwork. Frost spread down the metal pole in intricate; creating fern-like patterns that covered the face of the clock while icicles began to form at its base. Looking around, he smiled at the fresh layer of snow that was upon the ground and then to the sky, where more snow continued to fall. It was going to be a lovely snow day in the morning, and Jack couldn't wait to see the fruits of his labor.

It had been a good ten years since his initiation as a Guardian, and as such children all around the world had begun to believe in him. They laughed as they played in the snow that Jack Frost "nipped their noses"—it was a wonderful feeling, to be believed in. Giving a contented sigh of relief, he looked around the cool night sky, and found that the moon was just barely peeking through the clouds he had created. The soft light of the crescent moon bathed his face like a warm caress, and Jack just couldn't help the smile that formed on his face. The Moon had always watched over him, even if silent.

"What do you think Manny? Think I did a good job with this one?"

The moon was silent, but Jack kept talking anyway; it was perhaps habit that he kept talking to the moon, even though it barely replied.

"Yeah, I thought so too. It's a pretty nice snow day I've made. I mean, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think I really knocked this one out of the park."

Jack chuckled, looking up right as the moon was hidden behind some clouds, but that wasn't the thing that caught his interest. The Northern lights were shining in the distance, and though they didn't happen naturally this far south, Jack knew what they really meant. North was calling the Guardians together.

"Oh no," Jack whispered as he leapt from the telephone pole and called for the wind to give him speed on his journey towards the North Pole. When North last summoned the Guardians, Pitch nearly took over the world and plunged it into darkness—whatever was going on, it wasn't good.

Jack arrived at the North Pole in just under a day: the Wind had done a marvelous job getting him there quickly. Flying into the open observatory at the height of the Workshop, Jack had to duck out of the way quickly as a few planes and other flying devices whizzed past his head. The workshop was in full swing; the Yetis were working overtime to make sure that the demand for toys was met this year. It was a stressful time of year, honestly—at least for the other guardians. North was busy monitoring the Yetis' work on the Christmas toys, Tooth was busy collecting teeth that had become lodged in Christmas chocolate, Sandy was busy making sure that every child was having good dreams, and Bunny was busy preparing thousands upon thousands of eggs and other goodies for Easter. It was another time when the Guardians were all hard work and deadlines, something Jack honestly couldn't understand. While they were busy doing their jobs, he was out causing mischief and snow days—it still baffled Jack as to how he became a Guardian in the first place.

Landing softly on the plush red carpet, Jack looked around the area and found that the Elves were busy shuffling with treys of eggnog and cookies, Bunny was warming his feet by the fire and painting a few eggs, Tooth was hovering about the place giving orders to her little fairies, and Sandy was enjoying a nice big cup of eggnog. To Jack's surprise, none of them looked very happy, neither one really smiling and each looking pensive and reserved. This was normal for Bunny, but usually Tooth and Sandy were bursting at the seams with joy. Something was definitely wrong, though perhaps it was just stress—Jack hoped it was stress. Leaning against his staff in the middle of the room, he just watched the other Guardians; his eyes darted now and then to the Globe of Belief as if trying to discern the cause of the grey mood that had seemed to settle over the usually jolly Workshop. The peace was short lived however, as Bunnymund quickly got sight of Jack and bounded up and got right into his face.

"Where the blue blazes have you been, mate? We've been waiting on you!"

To say that Bunny sounded tense was an understatement: it was more angry than annoyed, which caught Jack only slightly by surprise. He was used to being on the receiving end of Bunny's anger, but this time it seemed a bit more tense. Chalking it up to nerves, Jack just shrugged it off with a grin.

"Someone had to bring winter joy to the kids, Cotton Tail. Relax, I'm here at least."

Looking around, Jack tried to figure out why they were called, but still nothing seemed to stick out to him. Glancing back at Bunny, who was fuming in his fur, Jack just gave him an innocent smile,

"So, what's the occasion? I can't imagine we were all summoned here for cookies and eggnog."

Bunny didn't seem to have a retort this time—in fact, he looked as confused as the Jack. Raising an eyebrow, Jack looked to Tooth, who was still giving orders to the others, lost in her own little world as work consumed her. Sandy, on the other hand, had moved closer and was standing at Jack's side; his small warm hand tugged up at his sweater. Looking down at the round little man, Jack smiled and nodded. "What's going on Sandy, any idea why we're here?"

A small question mark made of sand appeared over the round man's head, signaling that he also had no idea what was going on. Jack furrowed his brow, his confusion mounting. He looked around in search for the Guardian of Wonder, but he was nowhere in sight; however, his voice could be heard echoing through the workshop. He was barking orders to the Yetis and scolding the Elves for always tripping him when he walked. Large footsteps echoed through the wooden house as North stomped his way towards the others, his face set in a serious expression as he eyed the other Guardians. He seemed to give a slight nod upon seeing each one of them—four nods for four other Guardians. Stopping in the middle of the room, North nodded once more to Sandy, who had approached him; the two began to converse about something Jack couldn't really hear, but he could see the little symbols above Sandy's head form. First a he formed the Aurora Borealis, and then the profile of Pitch, and finally a question mark; North just shook his head, saying something too hushed for Jack to hear.

Lifting his staff and resting it on his shoulder, Jack meandered up to North, one hand stuffed in the front pocket of his sweater as he looked up at the imposing Guardian. When North failed to look at him, Jack spoke up. "So what's going on, North? Is something going on? Is something going on?"

North shook his head and began to speak, but Jack quickly cut him off. "Is it Pitch? Is Pitch back? I swear if he comes back I will send him back into the shadows myself!"

Before North could respond or even form a coherent thought, Jack flew up towards the Globe of Belief, floating around it, his large blue eyes searching over the twinkling little lights and seeing if anything was going on with them. None were fading, but Jack continued to scrutinize them. Questions continued to tumble out his mouth, barely allowing anyone else to speak." Where is he? Is he harming someone somewhere? Where is he North I swear I'll send that no good, rotten -"

"**JACKSON OVERLAND FROST!"**

North's booming voice rang through the Workshop, his thick Russian accent adding a certain menacing quality to his tone. For the first time Jack saw North annoyed: a serious look was on his features, his brow had pulled together and his shoulders were tense. The booming command had caused Tooth to quiet herself and land softly on the ground near Bunny, who was looking between North and Jack with a confused look. Sandy was wide eyed with shock at the sudden outburst from the usually jolly North. Keeping his mouth shut, Jack slowly floated back to the cool tile, his bare toes causing a bit of frost to form, while his expression became one of bitterness. What was that for, all he did was ask a few questions. Unable to really stop himself, Jack asked through gritted teeth, "Why did you summon us here North? I want answers."

When North opened his mouth to answer, footsteps sounded from the floor above them, effectively silencing the large Guardian. They weren't as heavy as North's but they made a definite sound, and every now and then there was the click of what Jack could only assume to be a cane. All five Guardians looked above to where the footsteps were going, their eyes following the sound as the footsteps made their way to the balcony behind North. After a few moments a figure appeared, a grin on his bearded face.

"North didn't call you here Jack Frost. I did."


	2. A Date with Destiny

Fleeting Moments

"Tempus enim non cessat. Time stops for no man Jack Frost."

Chapter 2

A Date with Destiny

Jack Frost stood frozen in the center of North's Workshop. Standing there was none other than Father Time himself, looking down at the youngest Guardian with a casual smirk. He had heard stories of the oldest of Guardians, who was arguably also the most important; Horatio Schafer had many rumors surrounding the nature of his existence as the master of time. It was said that Father Time lived in a realm between time and space within a giant Clock Tower that held the hourglasses of every living being, its precious sand slowly pouring out until time was up and the being passed away. Though not a Guardian in the traditional sense, Father Time was supposedly created at the same time as the Man in the Moon; both watched over the world as its passed by, the silent sentinels in the constant flow of time. Yet Father Time didn't look anything like Jack had expected—well, that wasn't entirely true: he had no idea what he had expected in the first place, but it certainty wasn't this.

"You see Jack, something is indeed going on, and I'm afraid it's something very serious. So I had North call you all here." Father Time's voice was a deep baritone, kept light by his friendly, carefree tone. He made his way down the nearby stairs and to the lower floor where the others were. Jack had seen a lot in his three hundred and twenty-eight years of living, but nothing had prepared him for sight before him. Horatio wore classic Victorian age gentleman's garb with straight black pants and shined boots. He wore a double breasted coat of a dark beige color and within that was a button up vest of a fine silk quality that was a dark forest green, and under that a simple grey silk shirt that had the collar up around his neck. Atop his head was a classic top hat which covered neatly combed and styled chestnut hair and within his hand was a cane, the handle shaped in the form of a sickle, which was a classic symbol associated with Father Time. Attached to the bottom button of the vest was a fob watch chain which lead into the front pocket of the vest, the silver standing out against the forest green of the vest so much so that it was nearly impossible to miss.

Walking right past North, Horatio patted him on the shoulder, nodding to Sandy and Bunnymund before removing his hat and smiling towards Tooth, who gave a shy little wave back. Stopping before Jack, Horatio looked him over and then held out a hand, which Jack tentatively shook—he was a bit speechless, after all. Who would have thought he'd be shaking hands with _Father Time_ in the middle of North's Workshop in the middle of December?

"Mmm, didn't do too bad on your transformation now did I Jack? Like the hair color, very fitting. And the sweater, nice touch of frost around the edges," Horatio said lightly, eying Jack up and down. The boy began to give a nod, but stopped himself to furrow his brow while an uneasy knot settled in his stomach.

"What do you mean _**you**_didn't do too bad on my transformation? The Man in the Moon transformed me."

Letting out a laugh that Jack wouldn't have expected, Horatio slapped the back of his shoulder before striding past him towards the Globe of Belief. Turning around and leaning against his cane, Horatio grinned widely.

"Think of it this way, Jack. The Man in the Moon is the brain and I am his hands. What he wills, I do. It was he who chose you, yes, but it was I who put life back within you."

Shaking his head as if to ward off a bad thought, Jack just decided to let that one pass—he was already confused enough as it was. Taking his staff from his shoulder, Jack leaned against it, eying Horatio up and down as he looked to the other Guardians, who had been surprisingly quiet this whole time. To Jack's surprise, they were looking on just as expectantly as he was, clearly as lost as to why Father Time had called them all here. The air in the room felt heavy with a strange mix of tension and dread—clearly, this wasn't a meet-and-greet. Finally, it was North who broke the silence, his thick Russian accent heavy with concern and... was it _hesitation_ that Jack heard?

"So, we are all here now... Horatio. Why did you call us?"

Grinning broadly, Father Time tapped his cane twice upon the ground and then looked between all the Guardians; he spoke with a lighthearted tone which, despite its frequent use, continued to catch everyone off-guard. "Ten years ago you fought with Pitch, yes?"

Horatio paused to watch the five before him nod, and then turned on the balls of his feet and glided up towards the Globe of Belief, his cane staying perfectly upright where he had left it. Moving closer to get a better look, the five guardians were simultaneously cautious and curious: what was so important to get them together again?

Pulling out his pocket watch, Horatio opened it; a warm golden light, much like Sandy's dream sand seemed to emit from it. Holding the pocket watch up to the globe, Horatio spoke some sort of incantation.

"_Averte eu, trecentis annis._"**

The Guardians watched as the Globe suddenly began to spin backwards, names and places erasing upon the surface and being changed to different symbols and words. The lights also seemed to change: where once there were flickering dots there were none and where there were none, some appeared. After a quick spin, the Globe stopped and one with a sharp eye would see that the world had seemed to retrograde back to what it was over three hundred years ago, around the time when Jack was first chosen to be a Guardian. As he closed his pocket watch, Horatio looked around blankly for a moment before suddenly jaunting back over to his cane, leaning upon the upright object while everyone else stared, mystified.

"You see Jack, about three hundred and ten years ago you were chosen to a Guardian by the Man in the Moon. You were given power over snow and ice and became the incarnation of Winter, yes?" Horatio paused lightly. His amber eyes moved slowly over each of the Guardians, waiting for them to nod in turn before he continued. "Well you see Jack, you weren't the only one given such powers."

Turning back around, Horatio took his cane and pointed up towards the northern end of the globe, where there was a large massing of little lights twinkling here and there: it was a place of strong belief.

"About fifty years after your incarnation, another being was given powers much like you were—though she was given hers through birth, while yours through death. Up there in the Kingdome of Arendelle, which is now Norway, a young princess was born with the exact same powers as you."

Confusion plain on his face, Jack shook his head, leaning heavily against his staff and rubbing at his forehead with his free hand. He opened and closed his mouth a few times while Horatio watched, a smirk playing on the elder Guardian's lips. Jack's brow furrowed and he piped up, "Wait, you said this happened fifty years after my incarnation? That means that was over two hundred and sixty years ago. What does this have to do with us now, and most importantly with Pitch?"

Horatio looked perplexed for a moment, his gaze darting between each of the five younger guardians. He looked to be growing increasingly exasperated and in the blink of an eye, his expression changed from frustration to an apologetic smile. "Right, the lot of you don't know yet... My sincerest apologies to you all! Now..." He turned his eyes to Jack once more, his voice distinctly more quiet than it was before. "Tell me, Jack, who was it that tipped the balance between your last fight with Pitch?"

Jack seemed to freeze in place, his eyes moving to the other guardians. Horatio finally lifted his gaze from the youngest Guardian, turning to face the others once more. "Well? Anyone?"

It was Tooth who spoke first, her small voice filling the otherwise silent room. "It was Jack who helped us win. That's why he was chosen as a Guardian."

"Exactly, Toothiana!" Horatio beamed excitedly at her and then spun around to return to his cane, which he picked up as he walked towards the Globe again. "Jack Frost and his abilities helped tip the balance of your last fight with Pitch. Now, why is this important?" He tapped his cane with the last four words he spoke. He looked at the five expectantly, but they all just looked as blank as they had before. Sighing, Horatio made his way back to Sandy and planted his feet behind the small guardian.

"A bit of background, then. Did you all know that I am not the only one with the power to go backwards or forwards in time?" Everyone's eyes widened while Sandy looked from guardian to guardian, shrugging his tiny shoulders bashfully. "No? Well, understand that Sandy also has this ability. Why, you may be asking? Simple my friends, very simple: Sandy is connected to everyone through their dreams. Everyone that was, everyone that is, and everyone that will be... he is connected to them in some way, shape or form. That's what makes Sandy one of the more powerful of you all, yes?" Everyone at least nodded, though some did more begrudgingly than others. Sandy continued to look apologetic, but Horatio continued to speak. "Now, what prevents his polar opposite, Pitch, from having the same ability?"

Pausing for dramatic effect, Horatio patted Sandy on the head softly and then sauntered back to the Globe, which he pointed at with the end of his cane.

"So by that token, who is to say that Pitch isn't going to go back in time and try to groom his own Winter Spirit in order to best you when the time comes? Tell me, does that seem so…. unbelievable?"

Looking from Guardian to Guardian, Horatio watched as realization seemed to slowly creep into their expressions; eyes widened, jaws dropped and one of Tooth's fairies let out a gasp. This was a very real possibility, something that could very well tip the balance in Pitch's favor the next time they fought. The memory of every light fading from the Globe became clear as day and each guardian felt a sinking feeling of dread.

Bunnymund was the first to step up to the call. "Then we have to go back and stop that rat bag. We can't let him get his own Frost Spirit! I mean, we barely beat Pitch the last time and he was by _himself_. Imagine what it would be like if he had someone else..."

The implied question was rhetorical, its answer hanging very clearly in the air: it would be more difficult to defeat him, that was certain. If it was as hard as it was last time, that left little to be desired in the odds of winning this time. Horatio looked between the Guardians, watching their reactions closely before asking another question.

"Then what should you all do about her? Just because Pitch is back in time, doesn't mean you'll be able to find him. She's there, though. What do you propose we do about her?"

For a second time, Bunny was the first to answer. "We go back and isolate her, stick her somewhere Pitch can't get her. We should have something or someone there to make sure she stays where she is until we flush Pitch out of hiding."

Toothiana retorted quickly, folding her arms as she spoke."We can't just lock her up, Bunny—that's not fair. I say we go back and just watch her, keep a close eye but don't interfere and make sure everything is normal, then stop Pitch when he gets to close."

North interjected, his deep voice easily catching everyone's attention. "Why don't we just bring her here? We'll take her through the timelines, bring her to our present and keep her here where we can protect her: at the Pole or in the Warren."

"Oh, _sure_, just lock her away in my Warren and make a target of all of us during the busiest time of year! That will _really_ end well," Bunnymund sneered.

"It's just as nice as your isolation plan!" Toothiana called out, causing several of her fairies to flutter around frantically and jeer at the others.

Jack's blue eyes widened as he watched the tension increase. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words were interrupted before he could utter them.

"And YOU would take all of us away from here, where we're needed, just to watch over one girl!" Bunnymund bellowed, getting right into Toothiana's face. "Some of us have things to build and we don't have countless fairies to do the dirty work for us! Ow!" He rubbed at his shoulder, where one of Tooth's fairies had attempted to bite him.

"Some things are more important than eggs, Bunny!" Toothiana screeched. Sandman rushed into the middle of the group, waving his hands desperately while images of crying children and thunderstorms came to life above his head.

"Sandy's right. We should think of the children! But I can't go anywhere, I've got too much to do before Christmas! We have to bring her _here_, that way we can keep her safe while also protecting the children." North's voice was loud enough to fill the space without him having to yell, but it frustrated the others nonetheless.

Jack turned look at Horatio, who had not moved since the argument began. The strange man kept leaning on his cane, watching the incident go on without so much as raising an eyebrow. Jack's eyes darted back to the group, who were getting increasingly upset. "Guys—"

"The children aren't going to SEE us if we don't stop this NOW!" Bunny had stomped on the wooden floor and begun to swat at the fairies that were flying within his reach.

"That doesn't mean we abandon them in the present day!"

"There is a _threat_, don't you SEE that?!"

"ENOUGH!" Jack bellowed, slamming his staff into the floor. Ice and snow clouded everyone's vision for a moment and the other guardians were separated by a sheet of ice that had spread beneath their feet. "Nothing will get done if we argue!"

"Nothing will get done because _some_ of us can't stand the thought of leaving!" Toothiana's fairies had returned to her and had now all crossed their arms in the same fashion that she had. All of them hovered a few feet off of the ground, nodding sternly at Bunny and North.

Horatio had finally moved. He stepped forward, catching everyone's attention without having to interrupt them by speaking. The guardians looked at him expectantly, but when he spoke, his voice was cool and calculating. "So it seems we've made a decision, then."

Bunnymund scoffed. "A _decision?_ Have you been listening? No one's reached a decision here!"

"No, he's right. I'll go." Jack's voice was quiet. He walked effortlessly across the ice to Sandy, who was still trying to communicate in the middle of the group. "Sandy's got to stay here and keep the children happy in the present day. And you, North, you can't leave now! The children are all expecting gifts. Bunny, you can't leave because you've got a lot to make before Easter. Children never stop losing their teeth, Tooth. We all know that. But me?"

"Jack—" Tooth began.

"No, I get it. The kids survived without seeing me for three hundred entire years, whats a few more?" His blue eyes met the amber gaze of Father Time, who was beaming brightly. "So don't worry guys, I'll go back and watch after her. I'll keep an eye out for Pitch. And maybe I'll even recruit her onto our side, but all of you just need to shut up. You're giving me a headache."

Jack tried his best to grin, but the reality of the situation was still settling into his stomach; he wasn't as useful as the others, he was expendable. The four guardians looked on in disbelief and looked about to say something, but Horatio began to clap his hands effectively silencing the group. "Very good, Jack! Excellent idea, I support it wholeheartedly! Off we go, then! It's almost time!" He pulled out his pocket watch, squinting at it before shaking his head decidedly. "My mistake. Just a few more moments yet!"

Bunnymund scowled in Horatio's direction. "This is absurd, you can't just—"

"Yes right now is perfect, we should get going. Come Jack, come, let's go, there isn't a moment to lose!" Horatio exclaimed suddenly, having made up his mind apparently. Having made his way to Jack, he took the boy by the arm and opened up his pocket watch before nodding to all of the Guardians. "Take care while we're away yes? Very good then, Jack, are you ready?"

Though an unsettling knot had formed in his stomach and his mind was reeling from how quickly all of this was progressing, Jack gave a firm nod. Looking back to his fellow Guardians, Jack flashed all of them a confident grin, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Don't worry, guys, I've got a handle on this."

The rest of the group still looked perplexed, but Tooth and North managed to wave their goodbyes to Jack. Bunny gave an affirming nod, while Sandy tapped one finger on his opposite wrist, as if pointing fervently to a watch.

The last things that Jack heard were the click of Horatio's pocket watch opening and the man's whispered incantation. "_Cinis cineris, et in pulverem pulvis, quod redire. Regnum Arendelle."_***

After that, all was reduced to darkness, rushing wind, and the noise of ticking clocks.  
~ ~ ~

_*Horatio Schafer_ In the meaning of names literally translates to "Time Shepard"

**Latin Translations:

_Averte eu, trecentis annis – _"Turn back the clock, three hundred years."

_***Cinis cineris, et in pulverem pulvis, quod redire. Regnum Arendelle_ – "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, return to what was, the Kingdom of Arendelle."


	3. That Shouldn't Be There

Fleeting Moments

"Tempus enim non cessat. Time stops for no man Jack Frost."

Chapter 3

"That Shouldn't Be There."

It felt like falling. All he could do was close his eyes and hold his breath and try not to lose himself to the swirling madness that was all around. The sound of wind that seemed to come from nowhere roared in his ears as he tumbled into the black abyss. He wasn't sure if he was screaming or if the rushing wind was drowning it out, but his chest felt tight and constricted. As Jack continued to descend, falling and flailing and crying out, the only other sound he could hear was the slow, even ticking of a clock.

With a burst of light, Jack tumbled from the abyss and landed head-first on a gigantic patch of grass. While the sensation of landing on his head didn't bother him, it was the constant spinning in his head that he couldn't seem to rid himself of that did. Groaning hard as he slowly got to his hands and knees, Jack looked around to see if he could find Horatio anywhere—to his surprise, the lord of Time was standing just a few feet to the right, looking up at the bright autumn sky.

With a heavy sigh, Jack pushed himself to his feet and after a sway or two, he managed to find his staff and make it to Horatio's side. Once there, he began brushing leaves and other debris off of his sweater and picked a few twigs from his hair. Horatio was staring intently up at the sky, a passive smile upon his otherwise blank face; yet when Jack looked, there seemed to be nothing holding Horatio's attention. Waving a hand before the older Guardian's face, Jack whistled a few times, "Wooo-hooo? Hello? Earth to Gramps!"

Horatio's face snapped towards Jack so quickly that it startled him. So taken aback by the sudden movement, Jack backed up a few paces before grinning. "Sorry! Didn't mean to break you from your thoughts, but we have a job to do."

For a moment Horatio looked at Jack like he had sprung a second head. As quickly as the confusion came it, was replaced with realization; Horatio's face broke into a wide grin as he pointed with his cane, "Yes Jack, you're right! We do have a job, forgive me. I got lost in my thoughts is all? Now. Lets see here."

Pulling out his pocket watch, Horatio gave it a quick look over and then with a flick of the wrist, pocketed it and began to walk towards the horizon. "This way Jack, this way! Hurry! We do not want to be late!"

Jack found that he had to nearly jog to keep up with the long-legged guardian, who walked at such a brisk pace it would have put Bunnymund to shame. While the two were walking, Jack tried to take in the scenery around him: the tall trees, the fluffy clouds, and the smell of fall in the air. While he wasn't the biggest fan of autumn, Jack had to admit that this place was pretty breathtaking; the grass was the lushest green he had ever seen and the sky was so open and blue he could lose himself in it. It would appear they had arrived here around dusk: the sky was so vibrant and colorful that it took his breath away.

"You're going to love it here Jack, really you are! There are lush trees, winding forests, beautiful mountain ranges and a charming view of the sunset that you can catch when you walk right up to the northern mountain and stand right under the third three facing the east – oh! And if you go there right at dusk I swear you can see the entire spectrum of –" Jack had been barely paying attention to the elder guardian as he rambled on and only regained his attention when Horatio smacked his cane against his chest. He groaned before looking around, his brows pulled together in confusion as he tried to see what had caused the sudden stop. Clutching his staff tightly in his hands, Jack looked around to see if perhaps it was Pitch that had caught Horatio's attention, but there was nothing remotely out of sorts around them. All that was there was a quaint little village with small wood cabins and a charming little square.

"What's wrong? Something going on at that villa—"

"Shh! That shouldn't be here…"

Horatio suddenly walked forward towards the village, looking at everything as he passed it by: rocks, trees, and even animals—nothing got past his unflinching gaze. Stopping suddenly at a particular set of trees, Horatio looked up at them, confusion in his tone. "Those shouldn't be there either…."

Lost somewhere in thought, Father Time walked forward with a steely determination that Jack hadn't expected and soon they were standing right in the middle of the little village. Snatching his watch from his pocket, Horatio opened it and peered at it, all while muttering something unintelligable as he began to pace and back and forth.

"So what's going on, Gramps—is something wrong?" Jack asked, keeping distance between himself and the pacing Guardian, watching as he nearly made a rut in the ground from all the movement. Horatio, however, did not respond as he continued to stare at his watch, muttering and mumbling as he went until suddenly his face snapped up and looked at Jack with large eyes. "Jack! Hello! Yes I forgot you were here, but everything is fine – well... sort of. You see, I may have taken us back just a little too far, which is fine! Just a minor calculation error in my spell and while I figure it all out, why don't you go searching for our Snow Queen? We will meet outside the castle once everything is said and done!"

Giving a shrug of the shoulders, Jack decided to just let the man be. He dealt with it all the time anyway—what could be the harm in leaving him alone for a bit, right? About to call the wind, a thought suddenly struck him. Jack whipped around to face Horatio, who was still pacing back and forth. "Will they see me?"

The question was innocent enough, but Jack couldn't hide the worry that crept into his voice. Stopping mid-step, Horatio spun on Jack and walked up to him in a few quick strides to look him in the eye. The two were the same height, which meant Horatio's eyes could bore into Jack's without having to be angled. When amber met blue there was a stalemate for a long and tense moment: neither one was willing to say anything. Finally, Horatio spoke, a little spark shining back into his eyes. "Maybe Jack, just maybe! Here there is a figure known as Jokul Frosti, and the children speak of him often while they play in the winter snow. If you are he, and he is you, then I cannot imagine why they wouldn't see you. Yet if not, you will have to get creative I suppose."

Horatio was about to spin around and walk back to his pacing when Jack grabbed him by the arm to stop him. The two looked at each other again, almost as if having some sort of unspoken conversation. There was hesitation and fear written all over Jacks face; Horatio nodded his head ever so gently, "Birds of a feather flock together Jack. Perhaps you are not as alone as you think. Why not go take a look around and find out?"

Pulling his arm free, Father Time spun around and walked back to his cane, which he had left still standing in his rut. Picking it back up, he began to walk again, still staring intently at his pocket watch. Jack couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped him as he watched the strange man pace back and forth: who would have thought that Father Time would be an oddity? There was one question that tugged at Jack's mind, however, and he found that he just couldn't stop himself from asking it. "Can they see you?"

The same peculiar laughter that had caught Jack by surprise at the North Pole rang from Horatio's throat. He laughed heartily, as if he found the question absolutely hilarious and continued to laugh for a good few moments. Collecting himself after a few final snickers, Horatio looked back at Jack and shook his head. "My dear boy, I am the representation of the ambiguity of time. I am abstract, intangible, and immaterial; because of this, I could be anything to anyone. I could appear as a child, an old man, an animal, or nothing at all. I am completely and absolutely abstract in thought and appearance, so no I cannot be seen. Does that answer your question, Jack?"

The explanation would have been just as easy if Horatio hadn't used those large and complicated words but Jack had understood the answer. Giving a nod of his head, he didn't pursue the question any longer. Lifting his staff and resting it upon his shoulder, one hand stuffed into the front of his sweater pocket, Jack shrugged. "Alright then, Horatio, I'll meet you outside the castle, okay?" With a wave of his hand, Old Father Time dismissed him without a second glance and calling for the wind, Jack was off towards the east.

Riding the wind with a whooping howl of enjoyment, Jack swooped and dove this way and that as he let out some pent up energy. All the stress of being at the North Pole, then being around stuffy Horatio had started to get to his head... a little play was in order. Swooping through the clouds and spinning at breakneck speed, Jack laughed heartily, happily, freely; he had never felt so free as when he flew. Soaring over the nearby mountain ridge, he soon found himself at the doorstep of a kingdom with beautiful and quaint little houses and a large, handsome wooden castle right in the center. The fjord was a nice touch as well, very fitting for a Scandinavian monarchy. By the time Jack had arrived, it was already descending into early night, the moon shining brightly in the distance and causing the sea to sparkle with a million little reflections. Jack eyed the castle with a grin and mused lightly, "Lets see what's going on in there."

Diving towards the castle, he flew through the streets, causing a nice, cool wind to graze those who were still outside. Jack leapt from street lamp to street lamp, causing a few ladies' dresses to billow up, a few men to loose their hats, and a couple of lanterns to go out. Chuckling as he went, he decided enough was enough and flew straight to the castle, giving it a good look around once to see if anything stuck out to him. While nothing stood out that he could see, Jack could feel something within the walls. It tugged at his heart and called to his magic—something familiar was nearby, something important. Diving towards the south-facing side of the castle where the feeling was strongest, Jack checked each window carefully. He looked to see what was within, but nothing really seemed to catch his eye—in fact, the entire castle seemed surprisingly empty! "Well that's weird…" Jack commented lightly as he moved to the third lowest-level upon the castle: it was here that the feeling tugged within him the strongest.

Dashing to the third window on the end, Jack looked within; his heart nearly skipped a beat at the sight before him.


	4. Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?

Fleeting Moments

"Tempus enim non cessat. Time stops for no man Jack Frost."

Ch. 4

"Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?"

Jack landed softly on a particular window sill and peered through the glass. He could feel something here, something familiar—it tugged at his mind to see it, eclipsing rational thought with a ravenous curiosity that was almost frightening. Within was a child's room and sitting hunched up against the headboard of her bed was a young girl no older than eight years old. Her platinum blond hair was disheveled and messy; she must have been sleeping before something had awoken her. Her little face was pressed to her knees as her shoulders shook; she seemed to curl into herself to hide from something in the room.

"No…" Jack whispered softly as he looked around the room and counted all the shadows, watching as every now and then they would move. A familiar fearful shiver crept down his spine. Pitch was here, there was no denying it. Jack pressed his hand against the glass to see if perhaps it was open and while it didn't budge, frost began to form upon the glass. Desperation found a way into his heart: he ached to help the girl and his anger toward Pitch came back as if he was mid-battle once more. Jack gripped his staff firmly in his hands, ready to smash it through the window. He closed his eyes and braced for the sound of shattering glass, but he halted himself when a small voice came from just outside the room.

"Elsa? Do you wanna build a snowman? Come on lets go and play!" The small girl in the room suddenly tensed up and her head snapped up to look at the door. She hesitated for just a moment, but then her little legs swept off the bed to go towards the door. A smile crept onto Jack's face as he watched: he had a bit of a soft spot for siblings. As the little girl got closer to the door, the voice just outside of it grew more and more insistent. Elsa suddenly stopped, though, her hands balled into fists as she looked at the door. She looked down at her hands, and after a moment of hesitation she turned her back to the door. There was another beat of silence before she spoke. "Go away Anna!"

Silence stretched on for what seemed like an eternity. Anna—the girl just outside, Jack concluded—called through the door, her voice laced with defeat. "Okay, bye…"

Little Elsa just stood in the space between her bed and the door for another long moment, her small arms defensively wrapped around her center. Her tiny brows had knitted together and her large, grey-blue eyes were transfixed on the door. Her body was rigid and tense, as if she was poised for something else—something much more frightening—to happen. In the blink of an eye, the girl whirled around, her eyes narrowed while she looked at everything in her bedroom: her bed, her nightstand, a few toys strewn about on the floor. She seemed at odds with the things around her, as if they were the source of her anger. Her breaths were ragged and shallow, her tiny chest rising and falling rapidly while her face contorted into a look of utter confusion. As she continued to look disgusted at her own room, she grew more tense: her breathing quickened, her knuckles became white. Suddenly, her arms released their hold on her center and flew out to either side while her foot hit the carpet with all the might she could muster. Her eyes were squeezed shut now; while her mouth had opened as if she might scream, nothing came out. From her miniature fingers came a sizable blast of ice, the impact causing the glass to be covered in thick snow.

"WOAH!"

Jack leaped away from the window, shocked at the sudden outburst. Just a moment later, all was quiet once more; he returned to the window to find that Elsa had fallen to the floor, once again curled up and unmoving, though now he could see a tear sliding down one of her cheeks. He had had his guesses before, given the familiar feeling and characteristic platinum hair, but now it was certain: this was the Snow Queen that Horatio mentioned. The strange man must've taken them both back into the girl's uneasy childhood. Immediately, it came to him: right now, the girl needed some good, old-fashioned _fun_. With a quick hand, he drew the outline of a bunny, much the same way he had with Jamie; with a press of the hand, he animated the drawing in snow that materialized inside of the girl's room. With a few hops, the rabbit took off, jumping over the bed, upon the nightstand, on the little girl's head and then around the room. Little Elsa looked up and spotted the rabbit. Her eyes grew wide in wonder as she watched it, a smile finally returning to her tear-stained face. Scrambling to her feet, she chased the rabbit around the room, giggling as she went until with a mighty leap, she grabbed hold of the rabbit and it burst into snowflakes.

"Wow…" She smiled as the snow filtered around her bed and floor, little Elsa looked to the window, where she saw the frosted patterns begin to form. "Jokul Frosti…."

When little Elsa had said that name, Jack peered at her curiously: maybe she could see him? He pressed his hand a little more firmly against the window: it needed to frost over even more as Jack tried to think of things to do to make this poor little girl smile. While lost in his thoughts, the girl ran towards the window and climbed upon the bench that rested before it. Her little hand pressed against the window as well, right over where Jack's was. She stared out into the distance, eyes full of wonder as she seemed to search the patch of sky that was directly behind Jack. "Are you there, Jokul?" She called out timidly.

A wide, genuine smile spread across Jack's face. "Yes, yes I'm here! Hey there!" he replied, unable to hide the enthusiasm in his voice as he looked expectantly at the little girl. When she did not respond to his words and continued to stare through him, however, his expression fell. Though he should have numbed himself to this by now, he couldn't help the sinking feeling that overtook him. It wasn't in his nature to give up, though—not just yet. Moving to the frosted window again, Jack wrote a simple word within the frost. _Yes._

Elsa's face lit up the second she read it and there before her eyes formed the figure of Jokul Frosti. She looked him over, mouth agape with awe as she smiled brightly, bouncing up and down upon the bench. "Jokul! Jokul! Mama and Papa said you were real… and you are!"

Jack couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him as he smiled at the little girl—he would never get used to the warm feeling that came over him when he saw a child recognize him. He lowered his voice, leaning his staff upon the window sill. "Hey there, what's your name?"

"I'm Elsa," she replied nearly inaudibly while her cheeks colored themselves a bashful pink.

"Well Elsa, I'm Jack. I'm here to help you, okay? I see you have special powers, huh?" Elsa looked away from Jack then and down to her hands, which opened and closed a few times. As the small digits moved, she looked crestfallen—her eyes were trained on these disappointing hands now, rather than on Jack. Trying to recover from the slip up, he spoke again. "It's alright, Elsa, really, its okay! You're not alone, I promise."

Her grey-blue eyes moved back to him, a hint of a smile crossing her otherwise uncertain expression. "I'm…I'm not…?"

Jack shook his head, his mouth opening to reply when something odd caught his attention. He heard the sound of a ticking clock, even though there were certainly no clocks around him. Looking below and behind him, Jack found that Horatio was standing below, his pocket watch swinging side to side before him. His telling expression left Jack with no questions: time was up, it would seem. Turning back to Elsa, Jack smiled and pressed his hand to the glass over hers again. "No Elsa, you're not, I promise. Whenever you feel scared or alone, just look at the frost on your window okay?"

"Jack—" the girl began, her eyes searching his expression. The ticking, though its rhythm was even, seemed to grow more and more urgent. Jack looked once again to Horatio, but immediately returned his gaze to Elsa.

"Promise me, Elsa, okay? Promise you'll look at your window. You're not alone." With his free hand, he grabbed his staff, a smile breaking his worried expression when Elsa gave a small nod.

"Promise."

"I'll see you soon." He lifted his hand from the window, giving just a small wave before drifting down to Horatio's side. Elsa waved in return, though as soon as Jack had departed, he saw her turn away.

"Its time, Jack." Before he could even respond, darkness and rushing wind took over. Once again, Jack was falling.


	5. Just Let It Go

Fleeting Moments

"Tempus enim non cessat. Time stops for no man Jack Frost."

Chapter 5

"Just Let It Go"

Jack face planted into the ground with a hard groan, his legs sweeping up and over his head until he finally landed on his back. Everything appeared to be spinning, his surroundings evading his focus. Time travel was a horrible thing: falling had never been a good sensation, especially when falling through an inky black abyss. With a shake of his head, Jack slowly rolled over and made it to his knees; he steadied himself with his hands, testing his balance before he pushed himself up to stand. With a slight waver Jack managed to keep himself on his feet and, after finding his staff, went looking for Horatio.

Jack found the older Guardian standing relatively nearby and staring intently at his pocket watch again. He spoke in hushed whispers that were difficult to hear. Groaning at the thought of getting the wrong time _again, _Jack sighed and looked at Father Time expectantly. "Well? Did we make it?"

Horatio paid him little attention: he was too busy fiddling with the watch again. His lips moved quickly, forming words too hushed and quick to be understood. Though he stood still, he looked quite frantic. Jack rolled his eyes before he spoke up again, "Uh…?"

Before he could even get another word in, Horatio spun on him, his amber eyes wild. "Jack! Everything is fine—at least I think so. We are currently on the morning of a very big day here in Arendelle, you see. Today is the Coronation day of Queen Elsa, which as we both know is a very big day in any kingdo – Wait. Coronation day? No, that cannot be right, I thought…"

Horatio flipped the watch a few times in his hands, looking over the intricate designs on the back and the way the gears turned; it appeared he was trying to see if the watch was broken, yet it worked just fine. Giving a little growl of frustration Horatio shook the watch and muttered, "_Tuc Ego!_"*

Jack rolled his eyes and leaned against his staff again with an exasperated look upon his face. After a few moments of watching Horatio fiddle with his watch, Jack shrugged his shoulders and looked off towards the horizon. A smile twitched at the corner of his lips. "So I get to see that little girl all grown up, huh?" he half mused to himself before turning on the other Guardian. "Hey Horatio," Jack began as he pat the elder Guardian upon the shoulder, "You stay here with all your timey-wimey** stuff, and I'll be off at the castle okay? Just find me when you're done." After another pat, Jack walked backwards away from Horatio. Staff upon his shoulders, he waited for any kind of confirmation that he had been heard.

Horatio waved Jack off, having muttered an agreement before he snatched out another watch from his pocket and compared it to the first one. Jack chuckled and rolled his eyes—Father Time was so quick to be rid of him. He jaunted over towards the kingdom, which was closer this time around, and noticed that they had landed in Arendelle right in the middle of summer.

While Arendelle didn't get as hot as other places in the summer, it was still an uncomfortable time for him. Jack didn't mind the summer—really, he didn't—but that didn't make it his favorite time of year. Still, the place was breathtaking this time of year: very bright and very green. While he looked at the scenery, he noticed that they had arrived around dusk again; this seemed to be a recurring theme with Horatio's time travel. Though closer to the castle this time around, Jack didn't want to walk all the way there again. He looked to the clouds and bellowed, "Okay wind, take me to the castle!"

The wind swept him up right off his feet and rocketed him towards Arendelle. He let out a hearty laugh as he regained himself in midair and began to bank this way and that as he glided towards the castle. Much to Jack's surprise, the castle was alight with activity and the harbor was full to the brim with ships. Garland and other festive decorations hung upon the street lamps and the houses, while the smell of a feast hung in the air. "Man, this really is a big deal." Jack mused lightly to himself as he took in the sights. With a quick push off the wind, Jack flew down towards the city, a wide smile on his face. "Lets see whats going on down there..."

Jack flew towards the castle before making a graceful landing upon a cool stone pathway. He made his way down the stone streets, getting a good view of the castle before he found himself inside. A party was in full swing inside the castle; everyone there were dressed up in the fanciest clothing that Jack had ever seen. The dance floor was stuffed with men and women dancing and the place was quite warm from the activity. He loosened the collar of his sweater as he sauntered through the crowd, barely paying anyone any attention—they didn't seem to see him anyway. Making his way towards the back of the hall, he stopped mid step when he caught sight of Anna and Elsa. They were standing side by side under a formal looking awning, each the picture of royalty. Elsa sure had grown up since he last saw her; in fact, just seeing her made Jack wonder how long it _had_ been since their last encounter. She had to be over twenty years of age now, when just twenty minutes ago he was outside the window of an eight year old girl. He ran a hand through his hair in exacerbation at the situation. "You really have a knack for things like this, don't you Horatio?" he muttered under his breath.

Jack walked to the wall on the left side of Anna and Elsa and leaned himself against it, deciding he would keep a general eye on the situation while also trying to not look as though he was staring. Yet as he waited, Jack found that icing the soles of a few dancers' shoes made for some dinnertime entertainment. With a chuckle, he shouldered his staff and stuffed his free hand in the front pocket of his sweater after a bit of fun, his eyes occupied with the dancing. Lost in his thoughts, Jack barely noticed the heated argument that had broken out between Anna and Elsa. As he turned to inspect the situation, he watched as Elsa moved away from Anna, ordering for the gates to be closed. He pushed himself from the wall and walked forward, right as the shadows on the walls seemed to creep closer and closer.

"Elsa, please. Please I can't live like this anymore!" he heard Anna beg as he made his way closer, phasing through people to try and get a better understanding of the situation. His eyes were half on the two sisters and half on the shadows of the wall; his breathing quickened.

"Then leave…" Elsa's tone was strangely devoid of emotion, quite unlike the girl he had met just before.

The shadows seemed to close in around the ballroom and when Jack finally made it to the front of the crowd, he watched as Elsa curled in on herself like she had when she was young. Her arms circled around her midsection as she slowly turned away from her sister and trudged towards the gate. While Elsa was trying to escape from her sister, Anna pursued her, asking accusing questions as to why they were separated while growing up. The shadows seemed to condense around Elsa and Jack quickly gripped his staff and called out to her, giving in to the hope that she could hear him. "Elsa! Elsa its okay, don't be afraid! It's okay!"

Jack phased through the people around him and rushed towards Elsa, his eyes glued to the shadows as they darkened around her. However, his words to her were unheard. In a burst of frustration and anger, Elsa swept her hand back to try and silence Anna, only to have ice shoot from her fingertips and create menacing spikes on the floor in front of her, effectively creating a barrier between them. Her eyes were wide with fear and her breathing short. Pitch's cruel laughter echoed off the walls as Jack called out to her, "Elsa, wait!"

He tried to reach out to her, only to have her flee from the room, her legs carrying her as fast as she could go. Jack was quick to pursue, the wind giving speed to his steps as he called out for her again, trying as hard as he could to be heard. Yet no matter how fast he ran, she was still ten steps ahead. Jack cried out louder, panic in his voice, "Elsa, stop! It's not that bad! Don't be afraid!" Though she hadn't noticed him at all, he felt pressed to continue anyway.

Elsa burst from the castle and into the courtyard, where people began to cheer and congratulate her. Panic triggered Elsa to move away from them, her gloveless hand clutched desperately to her chest, but she was surrounded on all sides. With the people closing in, Elsa backed up further and tried to assure them that everything was fine; they didn't heed her words and continued to move closer.

Jack made it outside right when Elsa backed into the fountain, causing the entire thing to freeze over and frighten the townspeople. As panic and fear gripped her, Elsa fled from the courtyard and rushed towards the fjord. Anna had joined Jack on the chase and they were both hot on her heels. Their voices rang out at the same time, each begging the new queen to stop, but she heard neither of them. Soon Anna gave up on the chase, but Jack wasn't going to give up that easily. The wind swept him up and pushed him after Elsa.

The wind dropped Jack off on the slope the large mountain Elsa had fled to and with quick steps, he made it to her side. He offered the best smile he could muster, though he knew she couldn't see it. "Just needed to get away for a bit huh?" he said softly, studying her troubled expression. "Don't blame you, place was getting stuffy anyway." His good-natured smile was useless as Elsa continued to climb the mountain, her arms still wrapped around her center.

She looked afraid and upset; as Jack got closer he could hear her talking to herself, her voice laced with sorrow. "The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside. Couldn't keep it in…heaven knows I tried." Her lip stiffened as she suddenly spoke with conviction, like she had said the lines over and over all her life. "Don't let them in, don't let them see, be the good girl you always have to be. Conceal; don't feel. Don't let them know…"

Jack leaned against his staff as he watched her and shook his head with a sigh. Finally he spoke, his tone convicted and unwavering. For too long she had been afraid of her powers, for too long she had been separated from her family. For too long Pitch had preyed upon her and fueled her fear. It was time to let go and be free. He was a Guardian after all, it was his job.

"Time to have some fun, your majesty. Time to show you that your powers aren't frightening." With a flick of the wrist Jack formed a snowflake and gently blew it towards Elsa, and the moment it touched her nose she looked down at her gloved hand.

"Well now they know!" She said triumphantly, taking the single glove and tossing it into the air, her face alight with the brightest smile.

He mirrored her smile as he watched her suddenly let loose, ice flying from her fingers as she tentatively tested her power. She was so happy she practically sung as she experimented with her abilities, creating snow from her fingertips, flurries from the sweep of her arms and fresh little gusts now and then. Laughter rang from her throat in the happiest tone Jack had ever heard her use. With a grin, he took his staff and blew a gust of wind into her cloak, and with a roll of her eyes Elsa simply unclasped it and allowed it to billow off down the mountainside. The grin in her voice was practically visible, as she shrugged, "The cold never bothered me anyway."

Though she said the line to no one in particular, Jack grinned even broader as he watched her run up the slope; eyes alight with excitement and joy. "The cold never bothered you, eh? Well lets see what you can do, Snow Queen! Go on. Impress me."

Despite the fact that Elsa couldn't hear what he said, she did indeed impress him! She ran up the slope and to the edge of a large crevasse, threw her arms out and created steps for her to climb. She tentatively approached them, unsure if they were as sturdy as they looked but when she set her foot upon the first step, it froze solid. The grin on her face spread even wider. Throwing her arms out wide, she ran up the steps as fast as she could, freezing them as she went. Jack felt his eyebrows rise curiously as he followed her, his feet carrying him up the railing of her stairs. As he crossed over the ledge he watched her literally raise a castle right from the ice-covered ground. Jack felt his mouth go agape as he watched her; all he could say was, "When I said impress me I didn't mean blow my mind, Your Majesty."

Jack managed to make it into the foyer as Elsa created the ice palace around her, her arms flying up and creating the amazing architecture that seemed to simply spring up from her will alone. He stared up at the perfectly symmetrical ice chandelier that she created, a smile of appreciation upon his face as he chuckled out, "You really are putting me to shame here, Highness! I'm going to have to step up my game!"

He couldn't help himself as he admired the finished product of her handiwork. The place was solid ice, yet seemed to glow from within as she poured her power and emotion into her work. The staircases were massive and beautiful, along with the fountains, hallways and rooms. She put a lot of detail into this giant castle, and overall, the place felt welcoming and inviting. A fitting palace for the Snow Queen of Arendelle, Jack thought.

As he turned around to say more to Elsa, his words died in his throat as he caught sight of her. She had just thrown her crown aside, and in a final act of defiance her hands shot up and undid that tight bun that held her platinum blond hair. She tossed the messy braid over her shoulder with a smile so bright and warm it could melt the castle around them. Jack just stared as he watched Elsa pull frost and ice up from the floor that slowly crept up her body until she was covered in a floor length, shoulder less light blue and white gown. "Whoa…."

No thoughts came to Jack as he watched her strut towards the balcony she created and stare out at the sunrise, proclaiming that the storm would rage on and this was where she would stay. "The cold never bothered me anyway." She said again with a smirk.

With a spin, Elsa strode back into the main room of her new home and then began to giggle uncontrollably. She bounced a bit on the balls of her feet, looking at the amazing beauty she had just created and reveling in the absolute _freedom _that came with it! Looking over her handiwork, Elsa sighed in appreciation at her beautiful creation, but something caught her eye. Spreading from a single focal point on the ice floor were the signature frost patterns of Jokul Frosti! She smiled broadly at the spot, her hands clasping before her as she strode up to frost on the floor, her eyes looking at nothing in particular, though she was really looking right at Jack.

"So…Jokul Frosti…come to inspect my work I see? I hope it's…to your liking?" She tried her best to sound coy and perhaps even smug as she moved around the floor, her eyes bright with happiness. It had been a long time since she saw her imaginary friend, but just the thought of him being here now was an uplifting one. He had appeared when she was alone in her room, why wouldn't he be here when she found her freedom? Imaginary friends could come and go couldn't they, have some dry spells in belief? Elsa closed her eyes as she mused to herself, her mind recalling the white haired boy who crouched outside her window all those years ago. She felt herself warmed by the memories, and—

"It sure is, Your Highness."

Elsa gasped and opened her eyes as quickly as she could. Standing before her, clear as day, was her imaginary friend from when she was eight years old.  
~ ~ ~

_Tuc ego_ – I am time!

_Timey-Wimey_ – Doctor Who reference. If you got it, I love you, if not, I still love you.


	6. Thirteen Years

Fleeting Moments

"Tempus enim non cessat. Time stops for no man Jack Frost."

Chapter 6

"Thirteen Years"

Jack and Elsa stood still, eyes transfixed on one another. Elsa's mouth remained agape from the moment she had caught sight of him, and Jack didn't look much different. She had been talking to thin air just a moment ago, but suddenly he was as startlingly real as she remembered.

Thousands of questions swirled around Elsa's head; she couldn't seem to find the words to express any of them, so she simply stared. Jack hadn't expected to be seen, no matter how much hope he held for the microscopic chance that she would notice him. Sure, she had seen him when she was eight, but as of right here, right now? This really was something he hadn't been expecting.

Elsa's eyes remained wide, scanning Jack's expression as though it might offer some sort of clue. She eyed her feet, watching herself take one very tentative step forward before looking at her hand, which was reaching out for the Guardian in front of her. As her hand reached through the space between them, Elsa looked lost in her thoughts. As quickly as she had decided to move forward, she retracted her hand quickly; she then stood there in quiet silence. They continued to stare at one another.

Several eternities passed in the moment where Elsa's expression was unmoving, seemingly perpetually confused. Finally, Jack watched her exhale, her breath making a tiny cloud in the cold air before dissipating. She gathered herself, rolling her shoulders back and standing with perfect posture: her hands clasped before her body, her shoulders squared and tensed. Her face changed the most—not a hint of emotion anywhere; however, her eyes didn't change, remaining bright with surprise. Clearing her throat to get Jack's attention, Elsa broke the silence.

"Are you going to keep staring at me like that?"

It took Jack a good moment or two to process she had just spoken to him, and when it finally did sink in, his mouth closed with an audible click. He attempted his usual, moving to lean on his staff casually while giving her a nonchalant, impassive glance; however, his movements were erratic and stuff and his staff could be heard clattering against the frozen floor. After he managed to find his footing, he fumbled over his words a bit. "Oh um, hey. Yeah, uh, sorry about - about that. I didn't, the—" he vaguely pointed towards the entrance of the castle and continued to mumble—"mean to uh…startle you." He rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly, looking apologetically at Elsa and her expectant gaze. "Umm, what? Nothing, nothing at all." He flashed one of his usual mischievous grins before his eyes closed tightly; he became clearly flustered as he reigned in his thoughts and then cleared his throat. "No. No I'm not going to keep staring at you. Sorry," he stammered quickly only to blink: that sounded wrong. "I don't stare at anyone, you know. It's just not my thing. I mean, not that I don't _like_ staring—it isn't that, it's just that." His face screwed up in frustration at how _that _sounded. "I mean—no, wait. Hold on."

Elsa couldn't stop the grin that twitched at her lips and it took a stern mental reprimand to not giggle. She had thought that no one could be more awkward at conversation than Anna, but she was easily second guessing that in light of the current circumstances. She watched him trip over his words and reprimand himself for saying the things he said—it was almost endearing to know that he was flustered. The astute eye would have noticed there was a slight blush upon his pale cheeks. Despite his flustered speech, he was rather handsome: pale skin and silver hair, eyes the bluest of blue Elsa had ever seen! However, his sudden appearance was unsettling and she found that he was a lot closer to her physically than she would have liked. With slow, measured steps, she moved back a few paces, keeping a respectable distance between them with her hands still clasped before her. She watched him quietly, waiting for him to get a hold of himself.

It didn't take Jack long to find his voice. He cleared his throat again and gave a coy smile, leaning against his staff, which, to his surprise, didn't slip out from under him this time. "So… nice place you built here," he commented lightly, letting his eyes sweep lazily and casually around the palace.

"What are you doing here, Jokul Frosti?" Elsa asked him point blank, her voice firm. There was also a small hint of something underlining her words, but Jack couldn't quite figure out what it was – perhaps he had just startled her?

He shrugged his shoulders lightly, "Its Jack, call me Jack." Moving from his spot, he found that staying on his feet and avoiding her eyes proved to be easiest. Every now and then he would steal glances at Elsa, only to find she barely moved other than to pivot to keep an eye on him.

"Okay, 'Jack.' What are you doing here?" Her eyes remained glued to him, remaining accusing in lieu of her repetition. She trailed Jack as he walked around the room, was admiring the detail she had put into it. He didn't answer her question right away, which only served to make her more tense.

Finally, Jack simply shrugged and cocked his head to the side to look at her lopsidedly. "What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

Though she was surprised at his question, Elsa didn't let it show on her face, which was a cool mask of discipline. She watched him for a long moment, allowing the silence to hang to the point of being uncomfortable. Her blue eyes took in his clothes, which were like nothing she had ever seen, along with his strange bare feet. She was subtle enough that Jack didn't seem to notice, and by the time she was done inspecting him, he had halted his trek about the room and shouldered his staff. They were standing a little too close for her liking again, but it seemed like he didn't notice. With a few more measured steps, Elsa moved back, but the moment she stepped back, he stepped closer.

"Please don't do that," she chided him lightly, only to receive a crooked grin in response. Jack's face seemed to light up whenever he grinned like that, and there was a very distinct look of mischief in his eyes.

Raising one long leg, Jack took a massive step forward and ended up just a few inches away from Elsa, his grin growing wider and more devious. "Or else what?" he asked in a teasing tone, but she was quick to retreat from him.

"Because I might hurt you," she explained with a deadpan look. Jack watched as Elsa turned her back and moved away from him again. Knitting his brows together, he slowly eased up to her, keeping a respectable distance this time. His voice was calm and soft when he spoke, carrying an air of reassurance like when he spoke to children. "Hey, hey. It's okay, really. You won't hurt me." He reached out to try and set a hand upon her shoulder, "I promise."

Elsa tensed immediately. She looked down at her hands, her brow furrowed and her lips pursed. It seemed as though she was studying them like they were unpredictable; she curled her hands into small fists and then flexed her fingers, almost wincing as she did. Her eyes moved up and away from her hands to take in the rest of the palace, but she found herself quickly shaking her head. She looked over her shoulder with narrowed eyes and swatted his hand away, "You can't know that, Jack." She looked away again, down to the floor this time. "I'm dangerous."

Elsa was taken aback by the light chuckle that escaped him, his head falling down as his shoulders shook with the quiet laughter. He shook his head a bit as he took the staff from his shoulder and leaned heavily against it before looking up at Elsa once again.

"Oh, come on, Your Majesty," he scoffed, "You really don't believe that, do you?" There was disbelief in his voice and it was riddled over his face as well.

Elsa spun around and glared fully at Jack, her eyes narrowing again as she looked at him. "What do you even know?" She hissed between gritted teeth, "It's been _THIRTEEN _years since you last saw me!"

The two were locked in a stalemate stare, Elsa glowering and Jack grinning. A beat of silence and Jack's grin faded a bit as he thought over her words. "Thirteen years?" he asked. "Really? It's been that long…" He chuckled again, a little more heartily this time. Elsa quickly grew more frustrated.

"What do you find so funny?" she demanded, her arms crossed over her front as she squared her stance. Jack straightened himself up and shouldered his staff, that look of mirth still in his eyes.

"It's just funny, that's all," he said through a few chuckles. After gathering himself again, Jack looked to Elsa only to find that her glare hadn't lessened. He swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. "So you really think you'll hurt me, don't you?"

He began to walk around her, circling the room in a casual saunter. As he walked around, his attention was drawn to the aura of the castle: something strange fell upon it, making it seem as though the walls took on a darker, more opaque and red hue. The serene blues and purples had all but vanished. Jack quickly looked back to Elsa, who was clutching her middle defensively again. It began to snow around them; at first Jack was impressed, but soon he noticed that it seemed to be stemming from Elsa.

"I've never been able to control the storm inside me," she murmured. "I hurt my family and I hurt my sister." She looked away from him briefly, giving a long moment of pause. "Now, the whole kingdom knows about my powers. My powers are dangerous." Silence fell over the room again until she continued, whispering, "I'm dangerous…" Elsa looked away from Jack, her arms circling around her center even tighter. As her hold on herself grew tighter and more desperate, the snowy storm within the castle seemed to get worse. Jack approached slowly, but the closer he got, the quicker Elsa fled. She stepped away from him frantically, her hands even swatting out defensively to keep him away. "No!" she protested, "Get away before I hurt you!"

Ice and frost shot from her fingers towards Jack, who raised his hands over his face defensively. As the ice connected and shattered against his forearms it morphed into frost but did nothing to outwardly harm him. The frost covered the blue fabric of his tunic and the snow filtered to the ground around his bare feet; he was unscathed and unharmed, much to Elsa's shock. "Whoa! Easy there, Your Highness!" Jack said with amusement, his hands rising to show he meant no harm, "No need to get angry." He smiled genuinely, which seemed to ease Elsa's worry for just a moment. Inspecting his arm, Jack looked honestly impressed at the patterns she had made upon the fabric, which had spread well up to the shoulder and down around the cuffs. It definitely added a bit of flare to his look.

Elsa's eyes were wide in shock as she stared at him. She stepped towards him with a hand outstretched again. She hesitated to touch him, her fingers twitching with the anticipation of it. After a moment, she pressed her hand against his right shoulder. He was corporeal, and to her surprise, he also didn't freeze over when she touched him. The frost that came from her hand simply seemed to dance off of him and away, leaving nothing behind other than little patterns upon the fabric. Her grey-blue eyes looked up at his icy blue stare; she smiled weakly and it was met with a smile of his own.

"See?" Jack said after a moment. "No harm done."

Elsa couldn't believe her eyes. "But how…?" she whispered nearly inaudibly.

That crooked grin from before came back to his face, "I'm Jack Frost, remember?" he teased lightly before continuing. "I control ice and snow just like you." He smiled and suddenly he set one of his hands right over hers. Elsa gasped: his hand was strangely warm, a familiar heat that matched her own. Anna had often complained that her hands were freezing, like she had gone out in the winter without mittens, but Jack's hands were the perfect temperature. A few long moments of silence fell between them as they looked at one another, barely a few inches apart with her hand upon his chest and his hand upon hers. While they remained unmoving, they reminded Elsa of storybooks she'd read growing up.

Jack shook his head after a moment, as he had just come out of a dream, and looked into her eyes with a knowing grin. "Remember when I told you that you weren't alone, Elsa?" He gave a small pause. "Remember when you were little?" He watched as she nodded her head a few times, still too shocked to say something. "I meant it, Elsa: you're not alone, because I understand. I'm here." Jack gave her hand a squeeze and his most winning smile, but a frown came to Elsa's face.

"But what if you leave again, Jack?" she asked with dread in her voice. "You were gone for thirteen years…" Elsa pulled away slowly, but not too far: Jack held onto her hand too tightly for that. Her eyes fell away from his, however, and she looked out towards the morning sun.

"That wasn't my fault," he said simply, "And I don't think I'll be gone for that long ever again. I'll make sure of it." Jack grinned and then pulled away from her slowly, her hand falling away from his. He was surprised to find that suddenly, his hand felt almost foreign on its own.

After a moment of tense silence, Jack decided to break it. "So, your Majesty. Ever thought about learning to control your powers? I mean, its no royal ball or anything fancy but…you ever wondered?"

Elsa shrugged her shoulders lightly, looking at the castle around her. "I've never thought control was possible without repressing it. That's what I was always told… Call me Elsa, please." Her gaze went back to Jack when he scoffed.

"Suppressing it? No offense, Elsa, but I think that's the problem," he said with a deadpan look on his face. "You can't hide from who you are, from what you are. If you accept your gift, I'm sure it'll be easier to use it. I mean, why would you want to hide this? Look at what you can do!" Jack spread his arms out, showing her the grandeur of her castle, the beauty of her creation and her powers. His icy blue eyes returned to hers, the smile lighting them up perfectly. "Its beautiful Elsa, really it is. Why hide it?"

She looked away from him despite this. "It's not that easy, Jack…" Her arms wrapped around herself once again, hands rubbing at her arms for comfort. "My powers are dangerous." She hesitated, however, furrowing her brow before she spoke again. "But if you can teach me to control them…I won't tell you no." Those big grey-blue eyes came back to meet Jack's and they shared a silent moment with each other.

_Tic Tock. Tic Tock. Tic Tock._

Jack looked around the room to see if she had created some form of a clock, yet when there was no sign of one, he knew what it meant. Horatio was nearby and it was time to go. "How on earth did he find…" Jack whispered to himself lightly as he spun on his heels, jogging towards the balcony to look over the edge. Horatio stood far below, leaning against his cane as his pocket watch swung before him. His face was blank as he stared at the doorway, paying attention to nothing else. "Not now… come on, please not now…" Jack complained as he stared down at the Elder Guardian, willing him to vanish. He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Elsa approach him.

"Is something there, Jack?" she asked tentatively as she came to the balcony with him, her gaze looking out over the mountainside and below. "I don't see anything, what's wrong?"

She looked to him for reassurance, yet Jack continued to stare down at an empty patch of snow. He looked upset, almost angry, as he glared darkly down below. She didn't like that look on his face—it didn't seem natural. Elsa reached out and gently placed a hand upon his shoulder and the moment they made contact, Jack's head snapped up to look at her. Their eyes met, but neither said anything for a lasting moment.

_**Tic Tock. Tic Tock. Tic Tock. Tic Tock.**_

The clock got louder and more insistent, almost as if it were demanding Jack's attention. He broke his gaze from Elsa and yelled down below, "Just hold your horses, Gramps! I'm coming!"

Elsa regarded him with a confused Jack turned around to meet her again, his face was hard to read. He reached forward and gently took her hands and pressed them against his chest, his eyes locked with hers. "No matter what Elsa, no matter how long it is until I see you, I will come back. Okay?" He paused for some kind of confirmation which Elsa vaguely gave him in the form of a nod. He gave her his typical crooked grin again, "I promise I'll be back and I'll help you with your powers. You just have to believe I'll come back and I'll be there."

His pleading voice was enough to cause Elsa pause: his tone was frail, as if it depended on her response. She looked at her hands against his chest and felt the warmth of his hands; it filled her with hope. She could learn to control this curse and he would help her. She nodded again, a little more firmly this time. "Okay, Jack. I'll be waiting." She grinned. "You better not be late again."

Jack chuckled, a sparkle coming back to his eyes. "I won't be, I promise. I'll see you again soon."

She smiled softly and nodded before watching him step away, their hands falling away from each other – her hands felt strangely cold now. He hopped up upon the balcony ledge, gave a sloppy bow and then jumped right off.

"JACK!" Elsa cried out in alarm before rushing to the ledge and looking over. To her relief, he was down at the foot of the castle, standing casually as he seemed to be conversing with an empty patch of snow.

But in the blink of an eye he was gone and there was nothing left but the snow and the morning light.


	7. A Year of Prosper

Fleeting Moments

"Tempus enim non cessat. Time stops for no man Jack Frost."

Chapter 7

"A Year of Prosper"

_Tic Tock, Tic Tock, Tick Tock, Tic Tock. _

Elsa stared at the clock intently. The meeting with her advisors had grown boring long ago, so she had occupied herself by staring at the clock, silently willing it to go faster. Yet, no matter how fast that little hand moved across the white face, time seemed to be eternally standing still. Everything was moving slowly as if suspended – never to continue again.

_ "Could this take any longer?"_ Elsa groaned in her head as she vaguely listened to her advisors talking about trade with the warrior tribes to the north. She nodded her head towards them lightly to fake that she was listening while still staring intently at that clock. _"Come on, go a little faster! Please?" _

"And the chief of the northern warrior tribe is sending his eldest son with a gift for you, Your Majesty. They are hoping you will consider him as a suitor and that trade will increa— "

"What?" Elsa interrupted her lead advisor halfway through his sentence. That had caught her attention easily. "Suitor? From the warrior tribe? Why?"

Her advisor cleared his throat and looked at the parchment in his hands before reading it, "To Queen Elsa of Arendelle. I am sending my eldest son with a gift for your first successful year as Queen. It is with my hope that you find both the gift and my son acceptable and take them as a token of our trust in trade. He will arrive within a fortnight." He rolled the piece of parchment in his hands and looked to his Queen. "Signed, Chief Bartok of House Ingvar."

Elsa sighed softly and pulled her hands into her lap as she looked at her team of advisors. This had been a recurring problem the past few months and it was always the same. Forcing her face back into the regal mask she usually wore, Elsa regarded those around her calmly. "We have been over this every single time," She said slowly, catching each one of them with a pointed look. "I do not need a suitor, nor do I need a husband." Her eyes lingered on each of her advisors longer than necessary as she finished. "I am doing fine in my rule without one."

There were muttered whispers and skeptical looks among the advisors until the one that had been speaking cleared his throat and spoke once again, the exasperation in his tone evident. "With all due respect, while we among your royal counsel do agree with Her Majesty's assessment, there is the matter of an heir to the kingdom, should anything grim were to befall-"

He was silenced easily with a wave of her hand, "If anything should happen to me, Anna will take my place on the throne. We've discussed this." Her lead advisor gave another resigned sigh before regarding his queen again.

"Your Majesty…we implore you to see this situation from the perspective of your advisors and more importantly, your subjects. An heir and a noble king by your side would mean the preservation of the royal lines and the opening of new lines of commerce." He paused for a moment and leaned forward so as to reinforce his next point, "Does Her Majesty not wish to find happi-"

Elsa quickly interrupted him with a curt flick of the wrist, "I already told all of you that I do not need a husband or a suitor to court me." She looked him dead in the eyes for a prolonged moment and when he leaned back in his seat she continued; she couldn't help the smug feeling of standing her ground and winning. "Now we will discuss no more of this. You're all dismissed." Her command affectively silenced the room and she was quick to stand and gracefully exit the meeting chamber. As she walked her thoughts were a hurricane within her. She couldn't fathom what the problem was with this entire suitor business - suitors this and suitors that, it was getting tiresome. She just oversaw one of the most prosperous years in Arendelle, and she's only been on the throne a year! She didn't need a husband then, why does she need one now?

"My study…I need to get to my study," she thought out loud. Elsa knew that was the one place they would leave her alone and made haste to her personal study. No one but herself, her sister, and her most trusted servants were allowed in there. It was always a place of peace and quiet. And it was almost always locked. Opening the large oak doors, Elsa withdrew to her sanctuary and quickly closed them. She had hoped no one had seen her and when silence was all she heard from beyond the door, she allowed herself to breath a long held sigh of relief. She needed a distraction, and with all that advisor nonsense out of the way, she could focus on something more relaxing. With all her time spent trapped in her room, painting had become more therapeutic than just a hobby. And it was a joy to see her easel waiting for her, sitting blissfully in the rays of light that pierced the large bay window at the end of her room. She quickly made her way to her desk and gathered up her paints and brushes. A smile tugged at the corners of Elsa's lips as she eyed the easel, "Now…what should I paint today?"

Elsa had a gift for painting and it was one that didn't require any preconceived thoughts. She simply let the brush paint what it wished and soon the white of the canvass was covered in a deep, beautiful blue. A few swirling lines of silver and white accompanied the blue, chased with bold patterns of frost and snowflakes here and there. It hadn't occurred to her that the smile she wore hadn't vanished since a certain imaginary friend crossed her mind. The blue was the same color as the strange tunic he wore, and the silver of his hair, the soft white hue of his skin. "I wonder where you are, Jack…" She mused, regarding the painting longingly as she continued to add little bits of silver around the corners – it looked like frost was taking over the painting, much like how it had taken over his shirt.

However, Elsa's daydreams were cut short when there was a knock upon the doors, and Anna's voice sounded from the other end. "Elsa? May I come in?"

Elsa smiled and set her brushes and paints aside. She picked up a clean rag and moved towards the door. Anna was practically skipping as she was let into the room, and she was looking beautiful as ever, her twin auburn braids inlaid with a few little wild flowers. There was a rosy tint to her cheeks that could light up any room. She was positively glowing with joy. Anna looked around as if seeing this room for the first time and quickly spotted the painting in the corner. She flashed her sister a winning smile. "Oh, what's this? Doing a little painting, I see," she said as she bounded up towards the easel. Anna gave it a quick look over and couldn't help the childish grin as it spread across her face, nor the comment that followed. "I see your muse has come back?"

Elsa couldn't help the disappointed sigh that escaped her as she went to sit at her desk, speaking with Anna as one sister to another and not as a Queen. "I wish…" she shrugged, not really sure how to answer the question. "He always tends to pop into my head at the strangest times." Elsa let out a chuckle, her eyes taking on a faraway look before she sighed, "Jack…"

Elsa's memories of the white haired boy were interrupted as she remembered she wasn't alone. The Queen blushed brightly as her sister watched her with mixed emotion upon her face, which morphed itself into a frown. After allowing Elsa a moment to her thoughts, Anna moved to sit on the corner of the desk before her.

"Elsa, how are you doing? Really." Anna asked tentatively, hoping to bring her sister out of her reverie. Her voice had the desired effect, but her sister often built up walls around herself and they were still standing. Elsa regarded her sister for a moment like a mother might regard a child for asking a silly question, offering a shrug and a nod.

"I'm doing fine, Anna. Really," she replied, though the worried, skeptical look on Anna's face gave her cause for elaboration. She inwardly groaned at the notion of having to explain this again. "Everything is fine, Anna. The Kingdom is happy, we're productive and trade has been at an all time high." Elsa had begun to distract herself with cleaning the paint from her fingers, and finally finished her thought, "Our people are flourishing and we're at peace."

Anna watched as her sister occupied herself with menial details, as if attempting to seem busy and unbothered by the question. Anna also knew exactly what was going on and she wasn't having it. Not from her own sister, least of all. She remembered the last time she pushed too hard, but this time was different. Her sister had control, this time. Anna groaned in exasperation at her sister's avoidance of her question. "I wasn't talking about the Kingdom, Elsa!" Her voice softened, as she looked her sister in the eyes, "I was talking about -you-."

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked, her eyebrow rose inquisitively at her sister, clearly at a loss for what she meant. When Anna gave her a pointed look, Elsa only sighed and answered her again, "I'm doing just fine…" She paused, trying to find the right words. "You know that." She didn't succeed.

Anna rolled her eyes and her entire head in exasperation at that answer. "Except you aren't doing fine, Elsa!" She exclaimed while falling back on the desk in dramatic defeat, only to look up and give her sister a pleading look. "You're lonely, Elsa. I can see it. You've always been lonely." She sat up and reached out, taking her sister's hand in hers and give it a squeeze, "It's always 'work this' and 'the kingdom that' with you. There's never anything else!" Anna paused, working up the courage for her next question. "Have you considered maybe giving one of those suitors a chance…?"

Now it was Elsa's turn to roll her eyes. She sighed deeply and sank a bit into her chair, loosing that Queenly posture. She rubbed at her forehead with a hand and had to stop herself from groaning in pain at the idea of having to explain _**this**_ once more. "Oh, not you too Anna, please!" She practically begged her sister; "I don't want to talk about suitors anymore. I deal with it enough with my advisors!" Elsa continued to rub her temple, trying to ease the growing headache away. "I don't need a husband or a boyfriend or anything, okay?" She didn't mean to snap at her sister, but the frustration at the situation was quickly boiling over. Anna opened her mouth to protest only to be dismissed by a raised hand from her sister. "Not another word on the subject…" Elsa said with a little more force than she had intended. Taking a breath to regain herself, she spoke again, a little softer and slower now, "I've ruled over Arendelle in its most prosperous time, and I've ruled it alone." She squeezed her sister's hand, trying to lighten the mood with a smile. "Besides, none of those suitors were any fun."

Anna groaned loudly again and shook her head, not believing a single word her sister was saying. "Oh come on, Elsa!" she cried out in frustration. "What about the Admiral from the Western Kingdom? Remember him? Tall, tan and handsome?" She waited for her sister's reluctant nod before continuing, "He was well decorated, he could dance, and he owned his own fleet of ships! What happened with him?"

Elsa shrugged her shoulders in response, her hand slipping from her sisters to return to her lap. "He just wasn't all that interesting." She said simply, managing the lie fairly well. "Sure, he was a lot of nice things, but in the end he was just boring." It was a lie and Anna knew it. She wasn't going to let that one slide.

"Please, Elsa. Don't lie." She deadpanned to her sister, "You really liked him, I remember! We used to gush about him in this very room! Seriously, come on! Tell me what really happened." Sliding off the desk Anna moved a little closer to her sister, showing that she was genuinely concerned for her. "He was everything you had wanted, remember?" She started to count on her fingers as she spoke, "He could speak our language, knew how to navigate the sea, was a well decorated war veteran and you used to dance with him until the sun would come up and—"

Elsa sighed softly and reached up to quiet her sister with a hand planted squarely over her mouth. "Anna, I know. I remember…" she said slowly, making sure her sister heard and understood every syllable. "He was great. Perfect, even!" Elsa averted her gaze, focusing instead upon the carpet, her hand falling back to her lap. "It was my fault he left," she nearly whispered while still keeping an ardent gaze upon the floor. She could practically feel the frown on Anna's face form as she revealed that.

Anna's hand gently squeezed Elsa's shoulder, and soon Anna was leaning over the desk to look her sister in the eye. No matter how hard she tried, Elsa couldn't keep her gaze from that of her sisters. She was just too sweet and too concerned. After a moment of quiet understanding, Anna spoke up. "What happened, Elsa?" The tone in her voice and the sad, puppy dog look in her eyes told Elsa everything she had already known; Anna really was concerned. "I can't help you if you don't tell me…" she scolded gently, which made Elsa crack a small smile. It was true. After all, how could Anna help if she didn't know?

The shame of admitting this truth was almost more than she could bare, but Elsa found that her sister was always the easiest and least judgmental. "One night, after the Yule Ball, he took me for a walk around the palace gardens. It was lovely, really. Very romantic. We talked the whole time and I got a little bold and moved to wrap my arm around his. Well, when my hand touched his arm, I…" Elsa was finding it very hard to finish the sentence. This was a problem that she had long thought to have solved. And yet here she was, still dealing with the fear of hurting someone else. The comforting little squeeze from her sister's hand finally pulled her from her inner turmoil long enough to finish the though. "I…froze his sleeve and he sort of freaked out…"

Silence stretched between the two, with Anna looking intently at her sister while Elsa occupied herself with a very interesting spot on the far shelf. Anna's words were gentle when she finally spoke, and they were just as cheerful as the smile on her face. "Elsa, its okay. We'll find someone who doesn't mind your icy powers. Maybe we just need to find someone like Kristoff, whose just obsessed with ice!" That had managed to make a small smile appear on Elsa's lips, so Anna took hold of it and ran. "So that way, when you freeze their cloths, they're more interested than freaked out!" Anna gave her sister a large smile, trying to cheer her up with this amazing idea. While the idea was a good one, Elsa wasn't so sure that it was the best one.

"I'm not so sure, Anna…" she sighed, feeling and sounding quite defeated. "I just…I want to be able to hold someone's hand without worrying that I'm going to hurt them…like I hurt you." Elsa may have finally spoke that truth, but she could no longer sit still with it lingering in the air. She needed a little space. The Queen stood up and quickly moved across the room, completely disengaging from her sister. Her arms wrapped around her center as she moved towards the bay windows and looked out over the harbor, "I'm the Snow Queen, Anna," she stressed, hurt lacing her words, "No one wants to marry me…" A touch of defiance settled into her eyes as she shrugged, trying her best to seem unbothered. "Besides, when I pass away you'll take the throne and then your children will be in line," she said, holding a hand up again to silence the protest that Anna had begun to form. "So it's okay, Anna. Really…" Elsa's eyes looked up towards the northern mountain and the memories of the freedom that peak had given her filtered over her minds eye. "I don't need anyone."

Though her last statement had been directed at her sister, it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself. Elsa tried to smile at the beautiful afternoon in her kingdom, but no smile could show itself no matter how hard she tried. Anna was right. She was lonely, but there was no point in trying to see suitors when her powers would simply chase them away. There was no one out there who understood her problem. There was no one who could know how much she hurt. There was no one who could know how lonely she really was - no one except for Jack. Looking at the painting nearby, Elsa felt a knot well up in her chest. There was always Jack. Yet, she hadn't seen Jack in over a year. Who knew when he'd show up again, if ever again? He had promised her that he'd come back and all she had to do was believe. And so she had for a few months. Now if only he would show up.

Anna had slid off the desk and wandered over towards her sister, tentatively hugging her from behind in a small attempt to comfort her. "Oh Elsa, don't say that…" she almost chuckled as she turned her sister around so they could look at one another. "There is someone out there for you. We just have to find him."

Elsa tried to look hopeful for her sister, but she couldn't manage it. "And what if we don't..?" she whispered back, doubt lacing her voice as her brilliant blue eyes glistened at the threat of tears. Anna's smile was bright enough to hold them back and Elsa couldn't stop herself from finally returning a smile of her own. Her sister was just a ray of sunshine in her gloomy world.

"We'll find him, I promise. Besides…" Anna grinned, "The Chieftain's son is coming in a few days with a gift." Anna grinned even wider and gave Elsa a sly little wink, "Why don't we give him a try? I hear he's very handsome." She offered her best swoon, which made Elsa giggle. "And I also know that he's from the far North, which means they deal with much colder weather than we do! I bet he's probably use to be covered in snow!"

Elsa couldn't help but giggle. She was right after all. There were still men out there interested in her hand, regardless of her abilities - so why not give them a try? Giving Anna a hug, Elsa finally admitted defeat, giving into her sisters demands, "Okay Anna, okay. I'll give him a chance."

She had to cover her ears from the happy squeal that came from Anna's throat. The two shared another tight hug before Anna pulled away and bounced about in happiness, which elicited a laugh from Elsa. She waved her sister off while trying to stifle another giggle. "Okay, okay. Now, get going. Kristoff is probably talking to that reindeer about sharing a carrot or something. Go and see him." She gently took her sisters hand and squeezed it, "I'll see you both at dinner. And make sure he washes up!"

After watching Anna skip out of the room, Elsa found herself returning to the painting. She stared at it with a sigh, her heart feeling a bit heavy despite the hope her sister had. She reached out to feel the paint covered canvass, and a smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. She hoped one day her friend would return. She missed that strange blue tunic, that tussled white hair, and that mischievous child-like look in his eyes when he was having fun. But most of all, of all the things she could freeze…he wasn't one of them. Her hand fell from the painting as she made her way back to the bay window and stared out, searching the horizon. She hadn't noticed the frost overtaking the corners of the windowpane as she whispered into the glass, "Where are you, Jack…?"


	8. Oops

Fleeting Moments

"Tempus enim non cessat. Time stops for no man Jack Frost."

Chapter 8

"Oops"

Jack managed a fairly graceful landing this time around. He still landed on his back but it wasn't as disorienting or painful as before – he must be getting used to it. Keeping his eyes squeezed shut to stop the spinning in his head, Jack let out a groan as he got himself together. After taking a moment Jack opened his eyes only to find that Horatio was standing right over him. "Woah!" Jack yelped out as he scrambled away. The eldest Guardian was standing rigidly in his spot looking off into the distance, a faraway look in his eyes and a blank stare on his face – it gave Jack the creeps.

Jack quickly made it to his feet and held his staff tightly in one hand, his eyes scanning over Horatio for any sign of distress: he had never seen him act this way. It was strange to see him stand this still, his eyes lost in the horizon. Slowly easing his way forward, Jack eyed him for a tense moment, confusion riddled on his face as he tried to figure out what was wrong. "Horatio? You okay?" He asked tentatively, unsure if he was even heard. Something else was wrong with him, but Jack wasn't quite sure where to place it. Horatio looked tired, traces of bags were under his eyes and creases had formed around the corners. Color faded from his face and his lips and it looked like he had lost a bit of weight. "Uhh..? Gramps…?" Jack asked again as he reached out to try and touch the man on the shoulder.

Horatio spoke dully, his voice void of emotion or timbre. He continued to stare coldly into the horizon. "You will see me three times before we leave, Jack." His hand moved slowly to his pocket and pulled the watch out, allowing it to fall and hang by the chain. It sprang open on its own accord and began to sway side-to-side, Horatio's wrist never moving to force the swing: it was moving on its own. The ticking of it was loud, almost frighteningly so. "Three times Jack." He repeated after a moment of silence, his mind lost somewhere Jack couldn't see, and his eyes gazing through him.

The tone of his voice, the look in his eyes and the blank stare caused a shiver to creep up Jack's spine – this wasn't the same man he traveled here with. It couldn't be. With a nod, he tried to wrap his mind around the sudden change and why the usually lively guardian had turned cryptic and vague. "Okay? When will I see you next?" He asked hesitantly, still struggling to catch Horatio's eye.

The pocket watch suddenly stopped swaying and stood perfectly still, suspended before the Lord of Time – even the ticking halted. Horatio's eyes were suddenly upon Jack, boring into him with a startling intensity. His tone hadn't changed and was still dull and monotone – and creepy. "When eternal hands fix that which was broken, it does not stop the everlasting march."

Jack stared at Horatio for a long moment with an eyebrow raised in confusion by this message. When he opened is mouth to ask a question, the Eldest Guardian spun on his heels and strode away from him, and in a flurry of wind and the sound of clocks– Jack found himself alone in the forest of Arendelle in the latter hours of dusk.  
~ ~ ~ ~

Anna was waiting nervously at the window overlooking the castle courtyard. It had been a fortnight since Elsa received the letter from House Ingvar and the eldest son was to arrive soon. For the past three days they had been gushing about the arrival of the man, wondering and sighing over what they thought he would look like! Two nights ago Anna had managed to find a few descriptions of the eldest son in some of the records her parents and the advisors kept of Arendelle's allies. His name was Bjorn and he was well decorated in battle, had many feats of strength and valor attributed to him and there was even a rumor that he had broken the arm of a man with a single punch! Elsa had frowned at the thought and said he sounded like a brute but Anna was able to convince her to still give him a chance. How bad could a warrior from the north be anyway?

She looked down through the window onto the courtyard and where she saw Elsa standing there calmly. She hadn't moved an inch since she went down there, except for maybe the occasional moment to fiddle with her braid. Elsa sometimes did that when she was nervous. Anna couldn't help but smile at her sister, even this high up in the castle she could see how nervous she was for this meeting. She watched as Elsa started to mess with the bottom of her bodice, her hands moving about to try and keep herself occupied as she waited. As the seconds passed Anna found that she wasn't alone in watching for the arrival, she had been joined by one of their close maids.

Waving the girl over Anna smiled broadly, "Oh the waiting is just awful! Why can't they hurry up!?" She said with exasperation as her eyes moved back towards the courtyard. The two huddled around the window and watched with expecting eyes: everyone was growing impatient – especially Elsa. She had started to move a little as she waited, her feet carrying her in little paths around the fountain but she would stop every now and then and look at the gates expectantly. Anna frowned, "Its okay Elsa, really, just relax…" She said half to herself and half to her sister, even though she couldn't hear her.

An eternity seemed to pass before a fanfare sounded in the distance and the heads of all three women shot up and looked towards the gate. Elsa quickly moved back to the front of the fountain and took a moment to fix her braid and smooth down the bodice of her dress – Anna giggled at the sight. It wasn't often that Elsa got worked up about something, but the idea of a handsome stranger coming to seek your hand was enough to get any girl swooning – including her sister.

The fanfare grew louder and the anticipation rose to meet it. He was getting closer and closer and seconds passed like hours and ages dragged on in infinite time as the sisters waited. With a sudden movement the gates swung open, effectively and kick started time to charge forward at a breakneck speed. To Anna's surprise two men strode in from the gates and behind them came in two horses. "Two? We weren't expecting two!" She said in complete and utter distress at the turn of the situation. The letter didn't say anything about two men and there was absolutely nothing about those horses. Shouldn't those have been stabled when they entered the kingdom?

"Those are beautiful horses though your majesty." The maid commented lightly as she peeked out the window.

Anna nodded in agreement, "Very beautiful. But I wonder what the gift is…it doesn't look like they have much on them.". Anna looked the two men over and found that they seemed to have traveled very lightly. One horse was saddled and had some furs, bedrolls, and saddlebags on it, while the other horse had no saddle at all.

As the two men drew closer to her sister, Anna took a moment to inspect them and even from this distance she could tell they were both men of imposing height. They could easily dwarf the sisters in both stature and bulk and Anna got the impression that they could both easily match Kristoff as well. One had raven black hair and wore formal looking clothing while the other dusty blond and was dressed in full battle regalia.

"I wonder which one is Bjorn…" Anna mused to the maid next to her as they both watched the men stop before Elsa and bow. She returned the gesture with a formal curtsy and they began conversing. "Oooh! I wish I could hear what they were saying!" Anna groaned in a frustration as she pressed her face closer to the glass. The man with black hair gestured to his companion and Elsa gave another curtsy. "Who the heck is that guy?" She snorted in confusion, only to receive a shrug from the maid.

The two in the window were pulled from their confusion when the raven-haired man pulled the grey horse from behind him and showed it to Elsa, who must have gasped in surprise. Her hand had risen and pressed over her lips only to fall and rest upon her chest, as she looked the horse over with surprise. Anna squealed loudly behind the window and bounced a few times at the sight, "It's the horse! The horse is the gift!" She pressed herself closer to the glass to get a good look at the horse. From this distance she saw that it was the most beautiful color of grey she had ever seen. The body of the horse was grey with a few speckles of white here and there while the tail and mane were black; it was a magnificent horse really.

The raven haired man speaking to Elsa must have dismissed his companion because the other man took the reigns of the tan horse behind him and walked out of the gates. Anna was able to catch sight of a massive axe resting upon the blond man's back. He looked heavily armed. That made her slightly nervous, why would Bjorn need an armed companion?

"I have to get ready to serve dinner your majesty. If you will excuse me." The maid said quietly, interrupting Anna's thoughts. A thought suddenly struck her – dinner? Bjorn and his companion were joining them for _**DINNER?**_

"Dinner? You mean dinner, dinner? As in the meal we eat every evening?" Anna paused as the maid nodded her head looking confused. "And they're…coming to dinner…tonight…?" She asked slowly, eyes wide as she looked at the maid – who simply nodded. Anna shrieked in absolute mortification. "I look awful!" Her hands flew up to her hair and tangled themselves within the strawberry blond tresses. "I need to redo my hair, get a new dress, and –" She lifted up her arm and gave it a good sniff, "Probably need to bathe and oh!" She spun around and pressed her face right against the window before looking out with a smile: Elsa and the raven haired man were walking into the castle together. She squealed happily, pushed herself off the window and ran towards her room, "I NEED TO GET READY! ITS DINNER!"  
~ ~ ~ ~

Anna raced down the hallway as fast as she could. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" She tried to slip on her final shoe as she raced down the stairs towards the dining hall. "I'm late! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" She skidded to a halt at the corner and rounded it while her hands worked furiously to do her hair in some form of a decent bun. "I can't be late, I can't be late! No no no no! Not today!" Her heels clacked against the stone floors loudly as she raced down the large hallways and rounded another corner, "I'm not going to be late! Not today! Nope! I got this, I got thi-AH!" She nearly crashed right into her sister who was standing outside the dining room doors.

Elsa's hands shot out and grabbed hold of Anna's shoulders to stop them from colliding together and the two stared at each other for a moment before giggling. Anna tried to fix the mess that was her hair and Elsa simply smiled, shook her head at her sister's antics. "In a rush?" She asked calmly.

Anna smiled her biggest smile and stood up straight after making sure the shoe she put on half way over was on correctly. "I thought I was going to walk in and dinner would be over."

Elsa shook her head and gave a small laugh before she reached up to quickly brush a few stray hairs behind Anna's ears. "There." She said fondly and then peeked into door to see what was going on.

Anna grinned broadly at her sister, "Peeking in on our dinner guests are we?" Her grin only grew wider when her sister quickly stepped away from the door and averted her eyes. Her hands came up and began to play with her braid as her cheeks warmed. Anna gasped, "Something happened, didn't it?" She quickly reached out and took Elsa's hands right from her braid and gripped them tightly while she bounced up and down – her excitement was hard to quell. "Oh! Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

Elsa laughed again and shook her head, trying to stop the blush that was burning at her ears. "Shhh, Anna! Keep it down!" She scolded half-heartedly as she tried to reign her sister in. "Shh or they'll hear you!" Elsa gently patted her sister's hands as she tried to calm her down, but Anna was still bouncing off the walls with excitement. Her eyes searched Elsa's for answers to all her unasked questions and unable to keep her sister in the dark, Elsa relented.

She pulled Anna closer and pointed through the crack in the door towards the two men sitting at the table. Anna pressed her face against the door so she could get the best look possible; Elsa explained "See the one with the black hair? That's Bjorn and the man next to him is his…" She paused to remember the word associated with his assistant. "Housecarl, or something. He's like a personal guard." Anna pressed her face against the doors even and her eyes went wide as a smile grew on her face.

"He's handsome!"

"Shhh!"

Anna slapped a hand against her mouth as she shrugged sheepishly at her sister – she had said that rather loudly. Pushing herself from the door she grinned, "So! Tell me what happened!"

Elsa's ears were a bright pink and she looked away; unable to meet her sisters unwavering stare. "Nothing happened Anna he just…" She trailed off to find the right words and then said in nearly a whisper, "…kissed my hand…"

Anna's shriek could have peeled the paint off the walls. It was so loud and so shrill it made a shiver crawl up Elsa's spine! "Anna easy, easy. You're hurting my—"

The door they had been crowding at suddenly opened and overshadowing them was the massive form of no one else but Bjorn himself. He was absolutely huge, easily a foot taller than both of them and his shoulders and chest were wide. He peered at the two sisters with one eyebrow raised, confused as to why they looked like elk trapped in the sights of a huntsman. "Is everything alright your majesties?" He asked, concern in his deep mellifluous voice enough to make a girl swoon.

It didn't take Elsa long to regain her queenly composer, her hands folded before her as she nodded her head with a smile. Anna wasn't far behind in schooling her face into a calm look, her shoulders squaring as she stood by her sisters side. "Thank you Bjorn for checking on us." Elsa began with a reserved smile before gesturing to her sister, "We're fine though." Elsa let her eyes cast a slight glace towards Anna, to make sure she was really alright before returning her gaze to the man before her. After a pause she continued, "I hope we didn't startle you."

Bjorn looked between the two sisters for a moment, as if trying to figure out which one of them had managed to emit that ear-shattering screech. He couldn't read either of their faces however and so his eyes settled back upon Elsa and he grinned a crooked grin of amusement. "Not at all your majesty," He then shrugged a bit, "Not too terribly." A slight pause and then he moved aside and opened the door for both of them to walk into the dining room. "When you two are ready to join us, please come in." He smirked before striding back to his seat.

The sisters shared a quick little snicker between themselves before composing their features. Elsa nodded her head to get herself together before she glided into the room; Anna stuck to her side like glue. Pulling close, Anna quickly whispered into her sisters ear, "Handsome and polite…I think we have a winn—ow!" She rubbed at her ribs where Elsa had just elbowed her. As the two made their way to their end of the table, the man who had accompanied Bjorn quickly stood and placed his right fist over his armored heart. Anna stared – rather blatantly - at him in confusion whereas Elsa just nodded and moved to the head of the table where she sat. Anna took her seat by her sister and once Bjorn had made it to Elsa's left he and his companion sat.

Dinner was served soon after everyone was seated, the table filled with roasted meats, steamed and raw vegetables and some of the finest mead the castle had to offer. Bjorn and his companion ate with vigor but were polite and would now and then stop to answer questions the sisters put to them. They talked about their homeland and their traditions and even shared a story or two about a heroic battle that caused Anna to swoon a bit. She also couldn't help but stare at the arms that Bjorn sported, they were absolutely dreamy; twice she got her leg tapped by Elsa's foot as a silent reminder that staring was impolite.

"So Bjorn," Elsa started after she had barely picked at her plate, "I understand that your people are excellent smiths and take great pride in your metal work." She complimented as she set her fork and knife down before folding her hands on the table, "Perhaps we can discuss some more active trade with your people to keep our alliance strong."

Bjorn set the cup he had been drinking from down and smiled before nodding, "Yes, I'm sure that could be arranged." He regarded Elsa for a bit, his green eyes taking in her features for a moment longer than he should have. He cleared his throat to try and cover up his blunder before continuing. "Your people here trade some of the best textiles, and your port would give us access to better sea trade." He gave another charming smile as he settled into his seat a bit more.

Elsa felt her face heat up a bit at the very brazen way that Bjorn looked at her. When she caught him she found herself staring back with a gaze neither of them could really break. His cracked another crooked grin and Elsa felt her heart flutter a bit. But not quite for the reason she would have liked. That grin of his reminded her so much of her muse and the grin he had given her when they were reunited in her ice castle. Her fluttering heart gave a hard squeeze when she remembered those blue eyes of his and the way they would light up when he would smile at her. It had been a year since she saw him however, and it was getting harder to hope that he would show up. Yet no matter how badly she wanted to see blue eyes and white hair she could only see the raven hair and sea green eyes of Bjorn.

Bjorn cleared his throat after a moment of prolonged looking at Elsa, it actually took a hard nudge from his companion to make him realize what he was doing. His own cheeks colored a bit as he coughed a few times before looking sheepishly up at Elsa again, "I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me for a ride around the town, your majesty." He straightened up in his seat and puffed up his chest a bit, He tried to make it sound less like a date than it really was. "I would just like to make sure that the horse we brought for you is a good match is all."

Anna caught the grin that spread over his companions face and she quickly nudged Elsa's foot with her own, a silent encouragement to say yes. Elsa's hands had moved from the table to rest in her lap as she thought over the question, her face a mixture of anticipation and worry. She looked to her sister for encouragement and Anna gave her a big bright smile and enthusiastic nod. After taking in a breath, Elsa nodded towards Bjorn, a small smile on her lips. "I would love to go with you."  
~ ~ ~

The moon shone brightly in the sky as Elsa and Bjorn rode side by side. He had saddled her horse and helped her up but had let her take the lead on where to take them and she had decided to go into the immediate woods around the castle wouldn't be too bad.

"So how does she ride?" Bjorn asked as he and his horse walked along side her. Elsa smiled down at the horse he had gifted to her and gently pats its big neck fondly.

"She's absolutely magnificent…." Her eyes find their way back to Bjorn, a blush burns on her cheeks again, "Thank you."

He smiles back, those white teeth of his contrasting his black beard oh so very nicely. "I'm glad your majesty, she is well bred. May she serve you well."

The two continued to trot down the well-worn wagon trails in comfortable silence, the moonlight bathing everything in a soft light. The moon was particularly beautiful tonight, the palest white Elsa had ever seen – it reminded her of Jack's hair. Shaking her head to clear that thought away, she huffed: why was she thinking of him now? She was out on a date with a perfectly handsome gentleman and nothing was going wrong for once. She wasn't going to let memories of Jack Frost ruin it. Not tonight!

A particularly strong and cold gust of wind billowed up around the two, causing their cloaks to flutter all around. For some reason the gust seemed to startle Bjorn's horse, it started to act very anxious. The beast nickered and chuffed at a patch of grass and didn't seem to want to go forward, no matter how hard Bjorn tried to persuade it. Elsa's horse on the other hand was perfectly serene. A grin tugged at the corners of her lips as she watched him struggle with his horse, "Need help?"

Bjorn was trying to calm the beast down as best he could, with gentle pats and calm words but whatever it was seeing wasn't going away. Another gust of wind billowed up around them and to Elsa's surprise it had begun to snow. Fear cut into her heart like a knife as she looked down at her gloved hands, praying to the gods that she wasn't causing the snow. Another gust of wind and Bjorn's horse reared back kicked its front hooves out and threw its rider before taking off into the distance. "Bjorn!" Elsa cried in worry as she quickly got off the horse and rushed to his side.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." He insisted while turning around to sit on the ground and rubbing his head where he had landed. Elsa set her hands gently upon his upper arm and shoulder as she tried to help him up but to her horror frost had begun to spread over his clothing. Her hands retracted back so fast it was almost as if he had shocked her, however Bjorn didn't seem to notice.

The snow had begun to fall harder now, covering the ground in a bit of pillowy fluff; Elsa felt her chest tighten in fear. "Can you stand?" She asked timidly as she herself stood up, hands clasped tightly before her. Bjorn nodded and slowly stood, shaking his hair of debris and offered a lopsided smile to Elsa.

"See? No harm done." He then looked to where his horse had run off too and shrugged, "He'll make it back to the castle." He didn't sound very perturbed by the incident and with a flourishing bow extended his arm to Elsa, who regarded it skeptically. "Why don't we start going back?" His smile twitched a bit as he considered his next words carefully, trying to ease her worried expression with a joke. "Wouldn't want you catching a cold."

Elsa laughed at his little joke and threaded her arm in his; part of her glove caught onto his sleeve and exposed some of her wrist, which touched the fabric. Bjorn led Elsa down the path they had trotted up on their horses, every now and then looking to make sure her horse was still following them. They had lapsed into comfortable silence as they walked, the snow around them getting a bit heavier as they continued; every now and then a gust of wind would billow up around Bjorn and flip his cloak onto his head; Elsa could have sworn she heard familiar laughter upon those particular gusts. She would giggle and help get the cloak off of him and they would continue their quiet walk back. She was nervous but tried not to let it show: it was getting worse as the storm continued and the more she fretted the more frost began to creep up Bjorn's sleeve.

"The sudden storm was surprising, eh your majesty? Didn't expect to get snowed on while we rode." Bjorn commented lightly as his eyes scanned the clouded sky. His eyes came back down to settle upon Elsa, who was just staring intently ahead of them. "Are you okay your majesty?"

He sounded honestly concerned and he stopped their walk gently and turned to face Elsa. He towered over her and she had to crane her head up to look at him, but Elsa sighed softly and looked away. "I'm just nervous, is all."

His large hand came up and gently guided her gaze to meet his and To Elsa's surprise he had bent down and they were just a few inches apart. Her heart suddenly began to thump wildly in her chest as the anticipation of what was to come washed over her like a wave. He was going to kiss her! A smile tugged at his lips as he leaned in a bit more and brushed his lips against hers subtly. Elsa felt herself start to rise on the balls of her feet to meet him half way but hesitated herself. Her eyes, which had nearly closed fluttered open a bit to look at him – he was looking at her with amusement in his eyes. One strong finger gently ran down her cheek as his other hand wrapped around her back and pulled her closer slowly – he was testing to see what he could get away with. He whispered softly in the small space between them, "Don't be nerv-woah" His whisper turned into a panicked little yelp.

Bjorn jerked a little and looked behind him, where his foot had frozen solid in the snow. "What the…?" His arm slipped away from Elsa as he tried to yank his foot free but to no avail. Elsa gasped when she saw what was the cause of his distress and instantly wrapped her arms around herself. Another gust of wind billowed up and knocked Bjorn's cloak over his head, which caused him to growl and claw at the fabric violently and rip it away; Elsa frowned and looked around as she heard that same familiar laughter. He yanked at his foot desperately to get it free only to have it suddenly defrost and the momentum of his yank caused him to fall right off his feet and land on his back.

Elsa gasped and rushed to help him up, "Bjorn! Are you okay?" She asked frantically as she knelt at his side to grip his arm. When she touched him however his arm swatted her away with more force than he probably meant to, which knocked Elsa back onto her bum.

He rubbed at his head and growled, "That isn't funny your majesty." He bit out; those soft sea green eyes had hardened as he stared at her. Elsa's hand came up to cover her lips as she tried not to gasp again; he had thought she had done it.

She reached out to him with the other hand, in some attempt to assure him that she was innocent in this, "I didn't…Bjorn it wasn't me…" She stammered to find an explanation but when her hand touched his arm frost seemed to explode up the fabric. The beautiful designs rushed all around his forearm and above his elbow in a spectacular display, but it horrified both of them. For Bjorn he was suddenly painfully aware of Elsa's abilities and as for the Queen, well she had just caused his sleeve to freeze over even though she was wearing her gloves. Her safety net was broken, not even the leather gloves her father had promised would help could stop the curse.

"Get away!" He growled through gritted teeth and swatted Elsa's hand away. He scrambled to his feet and backed away from her, his eyes dark and frightening. "So this is the infamous _Snow Queen _of Arendelle…" He spat her name like it was poison and his hands came up defensively as Elsa rose to her feet. "You brought me out here with your…. your _sirens song _and were going to freeze me!" He snarled, his mind jumping to conclusions quicker than she could imagine. Elsa looked at him in shocked hurt; she hadn't done this to him.

"Bjorn…I…I didn't do this…" She tried to explain, the fear that had gripped her chest from earlier had exploded into a full on panic and Elsa was having trouble catching a breath. "I-I swear…I didn't mean...I wasn't trying to harm you…I wouldn't do that...please…" She attempted to move towards him, to reassure him that this wasn't her doing, that she wasn't going to harm him – but he continued to move away from her.

"Oh no!" He yelled, his hands balling into fists as he readied to defend himself, his feet still carrying him away from Elsa. "I won't go down without a fight."

Elsa frowned and held her hands out to him, desperately trying to show that she was harmless. "Bjorn please, this isn't what it seems!" She begged for his understanding. "I wouldn't hurt you…I wouldn't hurt anyone…I just…I…I don't know what happened…please…"

As she continued to advance Bjorn hastened his retreat, only to slip on a patch of ice that had seemed to appear behind him. He fell flat on his back and groaned hard in pain. Elsa gasped; this was only getting worse and worse. "Bjorn please…I didn't do any of this…I swear…It…it isn't what it looks like…"

He didn't listen however, as fast as the man could he scramble to his feet and ran away from her. His feet and legs carried him as fast as he could into the night and towards the castle. He didn't even look back to see if Elsa was following him, or safe - he simply ran away.

Elsa stood in shocked, numb silence. Everything had been going so well. It was going so perfectly and as always her powers had scared off another possible suitor. She was even going to get her first kiss. She should have known this would happen, she should have hardened her heart and stayed away from all suitors. She couldn't stand this kind of heartbreak any more; it hurt too much. Steeling her heart as she took the reigns of her horse and began to trudge back to the castle.

Jack Frost squatted on a low hanging branch of a tree near where Elsa and Bjorn just were. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he watched the outcome of his handiwork unfold. He sighed deeply, "Oops…"


	9. Vivid Hallucinations

A/N

Hello faithful readers, thank you so much for following along with me!

This chapter is a touch on the sad side. Elsa deals with anxiety and depression throughout the entire movie of Frozen and this chapter focuses upon that aspect of her. But not to fear, all is well.

Enjoy~

* * *

Fleeting Moments

"Tempus enim non cessat. Time stops for no man Jack Frost."

Chapter 9

"Vivid Hallucinations"

Anna was worried. She was more than worried, at this point she was frightened. Not long after Elsa and Bjorn left on their date, Bjorn had stormed back into the castle. He called for his companion and in a flash they had packed their things and left. They left about an hour ago and Elsa still wasn't back yet. Anna began to pace the courtyard as she waited. Her cloak sat heavy on her shoulders as she endured the snowstorm. "Oh Elsa…" Anna sighed, "Please be okay…"

Soon the gates opened and in walked the Queen, her features pulled into a placid, numb look. Anna rushed to her sister and embraced her in a hug, her words tumbling from her lips before she could stop them. "Oh Elsa there you are! Thank the gods!" She held her sister at arms length to inspect her for injuries. "I was getting worried…" Her tone softened as she continued to look over her sister. Anna realized she hadn't even smiled when they embraced. At the sight of her sister's look, dread laced itself into Anna's heart as she frowned, "Oh Elsa…what happened?"

Elsa simply shrugged a shoulder, completely uninterested in the subject. "What do you think happened Anna?" She asked deadpan, her hands falling away from her sister to hang limply at her sides. Those grey-blue eyes were defeated and somber, like the life had been sucked right out of them.

Anna's face instantly fell, but she tried to lighten the mood somewhat, "Oh…well its okay…more suitors will –"

"No more suitors Anna." Elsa interrupted sternly. She took a large step back from her sister, hands balling into fists. "I can't go through this again Anna. I can't." Defiance settled into her eyes as she raised her chin a bit, and the edge in her voice was unmistakable, "I don't want a man. I don't need a man. I just want to rule my kingdom." A slight waiver was in her voice and she it took a small pause to rein it in. "Even if I have to do it alone."

Anna frowned at her sisters outburst, her hands fell to her sides as they looked at one another. An eternity passed between the few seconds they regarded each other but soon she nodded weakly, "Okay Elsa…okay…"

Without so much as a second thought Elsa strode past her sister and walked into the castle. Her legs carried her swiftly, taking her down hallway after hallway and up a few flights of stairs until she made it to her room. Elsa sighed as she leaned her back against the door and slowly slid down to the floor. She pulled her knees up against her chest and wrapped her arms about her legs. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and sink into the floor. She never wanted to leave the comfort of her room.

"Of all the nights…why…why tonight…" She whispered to no one in particular, her voice trembled as tears threatened to make their way to the surface. "Everything was going great…" She mused. "Everything was so perfect…" the grief she felt in her heart manifested itself into frost, which shot up the door and to the adjacent walls, covering the surface in swirling patterns. It would have been beautiful, if she weren't so sad. "He was even going to kiss me…"

Her room had thawed out last year after she accidently froze the Kingdom, thanks to the warmth and sisterly love Anna had given her. Now lost in her grief and loneliness the room was starting to return to what it was. Elsa couldn't hold in the tears any more, so she let them flow freely. Happiness was right there, it was within her grasp, and it was all right there: waiting for her to reach out and grab it – but fate was a cruel mistress. "Why…?" Was all she could whisper into her knees as she curled further into them. The temperature in the room plummeted and soon the Queen of Arendelle could see the soft clouds of her breath as she breathed out ragged sobs. She curled in on herself a little more to stave off the cold, her shoulders gave a hard shiver as she buried her face further into her knees.

The ice and frost that grew up from around her spread to the far walls and down the banisters; it swirled around the floor and crept up the bedposts. It froze the lights and the handles of the door and windows. It was surrounding her with its cool embrace, and for a moment Elsa allowed herself comfort in her powers. Despite all it did to her, at least it was always there.

"_He left you alone again…when he promised…"_

She raised her head to rest it against the door, Elsa watched the frost slowly overtake her room, its swirling beautiful blue patterns brought her no comfort. Jack had promised her and where was he now?

The room grew darker as the shadows of the moonless sky slunk into her room through the window. They lurked in the corners and slithered across the walls, engulfing everything in their inky blackness. Elsa rolled her head to the side and looked to the nightstand, where a candle flickered at some unknown breeze. Though it shone, the light it emitted didn't seem strong enough to pierce the surrounding void. Something moved in the corner of her eye, but when she turned she saw nothing there. She looked back at the candle only to discover it had been snuffed out. There were times when Elsa thought that the shadows were sentient, with the way they crawled up the walls and lingered in the room. Yet she always dismissed it as a trick her mind was playing on her, the shadows held little danger to the most dangerous thing in the room – her.

As she closed her eyes, Elsa sighed as she listened to the deafening silence that overtook her room. It was as if no sound could penetrate the tangible silence, not even the grandfather clock could pierce the void with its metronome. Tears continued to fall freely down her cheeks but no sobs escaped her throat. She was too tired to sob, too tired to openly cry. Tired was a good word to describe the Queen of Arendelle; she was tired of her powers, tired of living in fear, tired of running the Kingdom. She was the most tired of being alone. She enjoyed solitude yes, but that didn't mean she wasn't lonely. She longed for conversation with someone else besides Anna or the advisors, she longed for connections beyond political. She longed for true friendship, true love even. Yet her powers always scared people away, and left her alone in this gods forsaken room.

As sorrow eclipsed her mind, Elsa let herself go. She allowed her limbs to relax, and allowed her shoulders to slump and she gave into the silence and the loneliness of the room. It was easier to succumb she found, easier to simply allow it all to happen instead of press herself against her defensive walls. There were some storms she couldn't weather, some pains hat hurt too deeply. This was one of them. Bjorn was a lifeline, a chance at true happiness and companionship. He was a beacon of light in her world of darkness, his charm and obvious interest had set her heart ablaze with hope: but now it was gone.

Darkness hazed over her mind and as Elsa considered giving up to the sorrow that plagued her. Death was a better alternative than this sham of a life she was living. It would be easier – she thought – to feel all the pain once and then never again. Quick and easy and she would slip away like falling asleep. Sleeping wasn't painful so death shouldn't be much different. She would simply close her eyes and never wake up again. It would be better than trying to survive in this hell.

The sound of a rhythmic tapping sliced through the silence. She opened her eyes and looked towards the clock across from her, trying to see if the old timepiece was making noise. The shadows in the room seemed to scatter at the sudden sound, as if the onslaught had scared them away. The moon had come out of the clouds and bathed her room in its pale light, beating the shadows back and away from her.

Her eyes drifted from the clock to the window and fixed upon the glass, or more importantly the person behind it. Her mind went blank as she stared, unsure if she could believe what she was seeing. Her legs moved without her consent, taking her towards the window at a pace much faster than they should have. Her knees clamored up to the cushioned bench that sat before the window ledge and her hands fumbled with the latch as she allowed it to drift open.

She stared dumbly at ice blue eyes and white hair. How long had she yearned to see that stupid crooked grin on that pale face? How long had she longed to see tossled white hair? How long had she yearned to see the blue of that tunic and stare in amazement at his bare feet? For a year she had wanted to reach out and feel the cool fabric of his tunic and feel the warmth of his hand upon hers. For a year she had yearned to see those eyes light up with mischief and joy. And there he was, crouched on her window ledge, one hand gripping onto his staff and the other resting lazily across his knee. It was a dream come true - a terrible, awful dream.

"Why do you torture me…?" She whispered, half to herself and half to Jack. She looked away before she could see the confusion form on his face. Her legs swung over the edge of the bench and she wrapped her arms about her middle. She felt like she was falling apart, and the sudden reappearance of Jack was her minds way of coping with madness.

"Torture you? On the contrary your highness, I'm here to help." She heard him say behind her. The fact that he could talk made her doubt her sanity even more, now her hallucinations were talking to her – great! She wrapped her arms tighter around herself as she rocked back and forth on the seat, attempting to get a grip on her loosening sense of reality.

"Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel…be the good girl…" The mantra she was taught as a child tumbled from her lips as she tried to find something to cling to. She needed some form of stability to anchor herself too or she would lose herself in the storm.

Jack watched in stunned horror as Elsa seemed to crumble before his very eyes. He hadn't been expecting this when he made it back to the castle. He eased himself into the room. Jack leaned his staff against the bench and crouched down before her, watching as she continued to rock back and forth and chant her mantra. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as he spoke, "Elsa…?"

He said her name softly, afraid his words would unhinge her more. She stopped her rocking and the mantra died in her throat as she slowly lifted her head. Jack felt a pain in his heart as he met her gaze. The sorrow in her beautiful eyes made him physically ache. This wasn't the same Elsa he had just seen in her ice castle just a few hours ago – was it a few hours ago for her as it was for him?

Jack reached out his hand and gently placed it upon her trembling shoulder and as if that touch was all she needed, Elsa tumbled against him and gripped the fabric of his tunic. She buried her face into his chest and sobbed against him, unable to find comfort in anything else other than him in this moment.

Her sudden weight against him caused Jack to loose his balance and fall back. Elsa curled in his lap as she held him tighter than she had ever held anything in her life. Shocked by the sudden flow of emotion, Jack wasn't sure what to do but wrap his arm around her – so he did. His hands rubbed softly at her back as he murmured soft reassurances into her hair; he'd do anything he could to ease her pain, even if he didn't know what the pain was.

Elsa pressed herself harder against Jack as she felt his arms wrap around her and heard his whispers in her ears. Her fingers gripped his tunic so tightly her knuckles were white. She tried but she couldn't find her voice. "Wh-where…wh-ere…where y-y-you…" She managed to ask between ragged breaths and hard sobs.

Jacks arms wrapped tighter around her shoulders as he held her close to his chest, his chin resting atop her head as he contemplated his answer. "I've been off with a madman honestly." He tried to joke to lighten the mood but when it didn't work, he changed tactics. The question he wanted to ask fell from his lips before he could stop it, but it was a good way to get her talking and hopefully calm her down. "How long has it been? Ya'know, since we last saw each other."

Elsa rubbed her forehead against his chest a little as she sucked in a few breaths to try and find the strength to respond to him. Jack chuckled a little bit at the gesture – it was almost as if she was still checking to see if he were real. He felt her hands slowly release the fabric of his tunic and rested flat against his chest while she pulled back to look him in the eyes. For a moment they simply stared at one another. Swallowing a lump that had formed in her throat, Elsa tried to tell him. "Its…" She sniffed, "Its been a…a year, J-Jack."

The smile he gave her was a little disarming. She had expected him to be remorseful or perhaps even a little bit worried that a whole year had passed since their last meeting: but instead he just smiled. Elsa felt her brow knit together as she frowned at him, her tears slowly drying. "What's there to smile about?" She said through a few sniffles.

Jack moved one of his hands from around her shoulders to wipe away a few little tears that had drifted down her cheek. His smile softened however and he shrugged, "I was afraid I had been gone longer." He wiped another tear away, "At least it wasn't thirteen years." That crooked grin he gave her brightened up his entire face, and Elsa couldn't help the small giggle that left her throat.

She felt her cheeks heat up at the sight of his grin and for the first time since she saw him she realized how close they were. She could see every detail of his eyes, every individual eyelash and could even inspect the slope of his brow and nose. She had never been this close to anyone other than Anna, and it was rather embarrassing. Slowly Elsa moved to try and put some distance between them but found that she was sitting, quite literally, in his lap. That was a problem because his hands had also settled around her waist, and his eyes looked into hers. She felt her ears warm as his strong hands resisted her attempts to move away. As soon as the pressure was put against her he quickly relented, and realized what he was doing. He untangled his legs from under her and allowed her to move away, his hands flew from her body and quickly occupied themselves with something else. One ran through his hair while the other stuffed itself into his tunic pocket, and Elsa was sure she saw his cheeks warm up.

Elsa scooted back and away from Jack, resting on her knees a foot or two before him as she smoothed out her dress and tried to fix her hair. She thought she looked a mess right now, and so her hands moved furiously to try and fix up her hair and wipe away any remaining tears To her surprise Jack chuckled and reached out to take her hands in his. "Hey, easy now highness." His smile softened, "Even though you're a Queen, I doubt you're going to go to bed with perfect hair." He chuckled again and held her hands for a bit, his mind lost as he looked at her. She shared in his moment, allowing her walls to crumble around her and take him in. No words were spoken, but none were needed to be as they sat and existed in each other's presence. He shook his head and realized what he was doing, Jack quickly let her hands slip from his. He moved to stand up then, making a show to stretch his arms high above his head as he yawned; Elsa forced herself to looked away when his shirt pulled up to expose his stomach.

She cleared her throat to get his attention and then slowly got to her feet as well, her hands clasped before her in the same neutral posture she gave everyone. "I'm going to retire for the evening Jack." She said politely, even though her cheeks and ears were still burning red from their earlier closeness.

Jack relaxed a bit and stuffed his hands in the front pocket of his tunic and nodded with a grin, "Alright your highness." He then twirled around on the ball of his right foot and strode to his staff, scooped it up and hopped gracefully onto the window seal. He turned around and smiled, "See you tomorrow alright?"

Elsa felt her heart squeeze at the idea, dread gripping her like a vice. "Promise me you'll be there?" She asked nervously. The smile she got in return however, managed to put her heart at ease.

Jack's eyes widened and pouted his lips; he made it quiver for good measure as he lamented, "Would I lie to you?" He asked, feigning hurt in his voice. Elsa felt a smirk tug at the corners of her lips.

She lifted her chin to look down her nose at him and shrugged, "Well you have lied to me in the past Jack, am I to expect any different this time?"

Jack shrugged a shoulder and tried to look aloof, "Well I mean, I'll have to check my schedule and make sure I can show up in time to grace you with my presence." He gave a flourishing, over dramatic bow, "But I'll make sure I give you the honor of seeing me sometime tomorrow."

Elsa had to raise a hand to cover her giggling. He was an absolute dork, and she found it rather endearing. She found it easy to joke with him, to smile, to be happy in his presence. She decided to play along and gave her own overly flourished curtsy. Elsa smiled, "I will await with baited breath then." Though she had meant to say it sarcastically, genuine anticipation had crept into her voice.

His ears seemed to perk at the tone in her voice and he smiled a big, bright smile. "Good night then, your majesty." His voice was soft as he moved to exit the window.

He paused however when he heard her response, said back just as sweetly. "Good night Jack."

And with that, he was gone.


	10. Frozen Insecurities

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry this took so long, my beta reader got slammed with school stuff and thus was unable to edit until pretty much yesterday and today! But we managed to get this chapter up.

Thank you all for sticking with me and reading along

If you have a tumblr, follow me: Ishipit333

Or my writers blog: scribes-scribbles

Enjoy~

* * *

Fleeting Moments

"Tempus enim non cessat. Time stops for no man Jack Frost."

Chapter 10

"Frozen Insecurities"

* * *

_Her heart was pounding. The sound drowned everything out as she and her horse galloped through the forest. Her horse ran as fast as its legs would carry it, and her hands gripped the reigns so tightly she feared her fingers would snap. An arrow suddenly shot past her left ear and she had to duck low to avoid another volley. Her horse veered sharply to the right and ran through a clearing of trees, three arrows sinking into the bark of where they had just been. Her pursuers were gaining on them._

"_Just a little faster! Keep going!" She urged the beast that was whisking her away. The beast let out a snort and its hooves pounded harder against the forest floor as it ran for its life. The horse weaved through the trees until suddenly its back legs give out from under it. The beast collapsed with a panicked sound, and its rider felt herself go crashing into the cold, unforgiving earth. Lifting her head she watched as her beloved companion struggled to stand, its hind legs littered with several crossbow bolts. Dark red blood stained its beautiful grey coat and it cried out in fear as it writhed in pain. The poor beast tried in vain to stand, its legs attempting to pull it upright but the damage was done. Its back legs were useless and so the horse could do nothing but writhe in agony. It had begun to snow. _

_She felt fear stab into her limbs and freeze her to the spot as her eyes took in the black shapes that closed down upon her from all sides. They materialized from the tree line and surrounded her with evil laughs. The shadows were humanoid in shape but nothing marked them but large white, and cruel grins. The ring of steel pierced the air and she felt herself try to move but her limbs were heavy and useless. She was trapped. _

"_Jack! JACK!" She heard herself cry out into the snowstorm as the figures closed in around her, suffocating her with their presence. "JACK! JACK!" She screamed his name to the sky, her voice cried out_ _so loudly she felt her throat rupture and give out. The metal taste of blood was all she could taste as she gurgled out screams as the blackness covered her. The shadows laughed as they mocked her,_

"_He left you."_

* * *

Elsa bolted upright in her bed. She looked around the room with large, wide eyes as she took in the familiar walls and decorations of her sanctuary. With a deep breath her heart began to steady, she was relived to find that it was just a dream – she was safe in her room. She pressed her hand to her chest, she looked to the clock and saw that it read fifteen past six in the morning. She had woken up earlier than she normally did, but there was no use going back to sleep now.

Elsa pushed the covers away and swung her legs over the edge and stretched her arms. It felt good to take a moment to ease the sleep from her muscles. She stood, grabbed the nearby robe and pulled it on. Tying the knot around her waist as she turned, Elsa stopped dead in her tracks as she stared at the frosted window.

There was no one sitting there. The window ledge was void of any corporeal being and the wood had dusted over with the freshly falling snow that was drifting outside. Fear eclipsed her heart as she thought back to last night. Her muse had returned in the dead of night to save her from the shadows, but was it all just some cruel, horrible dream? Some vivid hallucination that her mind conjured up to rationalize the slow decent into madness she was facing the night before? Had he lied to her yet again and made promises he could not keep? Elsa wasn't sure which answer she hated the most, all of them were painful. She made her way to the window hoping that the closer she got the more likely he would be to appear through the misty morning. Setting herself upon the cushioned bench, Elsa felt her heart sink lower than it ever had before. She had allowed herself to hope and now it was dashed across the floor. Wrenching her eyes away from the window Elsa looked down at her hands and had to fight to keep the tears at bay.

"Morning your highness!"

Elsa let out a startled yelp as she jumped at the sudden greeting! Her wide eyes flew to the window where she found Jack, who was looking through her window from the roof, his head upside down and a lopsided grin plastered over his face. He looked genuinely amused that he had startled her! "Nice bed head, highness." He teased and when Elsa huffed and crossed her arms he laughed. "If you keep pouting Els, your face is going to stay that way."

He grinned widely but Elsa felt her cheeks and ears burn in embarrassment! She quickly tried to pull her face into a more relaxed look but it was proving to be difficult: Jack had just scared the living daylights out of her! "Where were you?!"She demanded but then quickly recovered with a follow up statement, having realized her slip. "I mean I didn't expect to see you this morning. So I didn't have time to get ready." She explained while furiously trying to get a few tangles from her hair as she prepared to try and braid it. "And I remember asking you to call me Elsa." She commented lightly. Turning her gaze back to him she watched as his shoulders shook a bit as he let out a quiet chuckle and climbed gracefully down from the roof to crouch on the window ledge. It was surprising how nimble he was, it reminded Elsa of a cat.

"C'mon Elsa, I told you I'd be here didn't I?" He gestured to the light snowfall that had begun outside. "I left for a bit to spread some winter fun around the Kingdom." He shrugged while turning back to look at her, "I just got back anyway. Good timing huh?" A smile on his face as he looked to her through the glass.

She breathed a sigh of relief to know that he hadn't seen her having a nightmare, or at if he had he didn't let on. Night terrors were something she didn't want to burden anyone with, and that included Jack. Smoothing her braid onto her shoulder, Elsa smiled lightly towards him, "I'm sure its absolutely lovely Jack, thank you." She paused as she inspected his handy work on the window, "This is impressive." Her hand reached out to gently press against her side of the glass, and she watched as her own frost shot up in a wild array of swirls and vines. A frown settled over her features – it wasn't anything like Jack's. His patterns were intricate and beautiful, swirling in amazingly complicated designs that took her breath away. What she created was jagged, rough and disjointed – it was ugly to be quite frank.

Jack however looked on in awe as he watched her powers form over the glass and a grin formed on his face. "Now that's pretty impressive Els." That smug look reappeared on his features when she raised an eyebrow at his mispronunciation of her name, "I mean, it could use a little work," He shrugged, looking aloofly down at her, "Its nowhere near as good as what I can do…but…" He locked eyes with her then, "It's a good start."

She had to break eye contact with him after a moment to try and stop the rush of heat that pooled in her cheeks. The way he often looked at her always caused her to blush, no matter the situation they were in. Maybe it was the intense way he engaged her in conversation, or perhaps it was his child-like nature, but something about Jack Frost made her blush with surprising frequency. Taking a moment to regain her composure, Elsa raised her eyes back to him and found that a frown had settled where a grin used to be. He canted his head to the side in confusion, "Was it something I said?"

Elsa quickly shook her head and tried to reassure him with a smile of her own, "No. No, it wasn't you Jack." She met his eyes, "It wasn't anything you said. I'm just…" She sighed, trying to find the right words. "Not used to…being praised for my abilities."

That crooked grin that made her heart flutter spread across his face and Elsa had to fight to keep her expression neutral. He shrugged his shoulders and that grin only grew wider, "Well you had better get used to it." He paused when she raised an eyebrow at him, "Because I'm going to be doing it a lot."

He shouldered his staff as he smiled happily through the glass, "Get dressed, because we're going on a little trip to help you," He pointed at her, and then the frosted over glass, "and that frost on the right track."

Elsa frowned as she thought about the plans she had for the day, which she would have to put aside if she went out with Jack. Her hands rose to play with her braid nervously, "Oh I don't know Jack…I have so much to do today." She started to count the day's activities on her fingers; "I have to have breakfast with Anna and Kristoff, and then my usual morning meeting with my advisors. Then I have to train my horse in proper etiquette for formal ceremonies and then I have to have my afternoon tea with honored guests, then dinner, then coffee and dessert with the guests and finally sleep."

Jack's mouth fell open through the first half of the list and when the latter half began he groaned loudly, rolled is head back and then rubbed at his face as if he were in pain. "You have to be kidding me Els…" He groaned in exasperation as he peeked one eye through his fingers to look at her. Elsa on the other hand had crossed he arms over her chest and fixed him in a stern half glare.

"I can't just shirk my duties as Queen to go gallivanting with you Jack. It doesn't work that way, I have – "

He waved a hand to dismiss her explanation, giving one of his own, "Hard work and responsibilities. I'm aware." He fixed her with a gleeful look then, "But that's just too bad because we are going to have some fun and train today – Ah, ah, ah!" He held up his hand to silence her when he watched her mouth open to protest. "No complaining highness. This is happening." He grinned, "So go on, get dressed and meet me at the stables with your horse when you're done." He stood up then and balanced himself on the ledge with a smirk as he watched frustration filter over her features.

"But Jack—"

"Uup! Nope. None of that!" He then looked at his right wrist like he was looking at a watch, "Time's wasting highness, you better hurry up!" And with that he fell backwards off the ledge, which nearly caused Elsa to have a heart attack.

"Jack!" She cried as she threw open the window and looked out over the ledge only to see him literally _gliding_ like a leaf on the wind towards the stables. Elsa sighed but couldn't find it in herself to remain angry with him, nor could she find reason to continue frowning. In fact, she felt her lips pull up into a contented little smile as she shook her head. Just then her clock on the far wall rung seven times and Elsa quickly spun around and rushed to get ready. She had a date after all.

* * *

It had taken two and a half hours to get everything rescheduled for the day, and most of it had been spent in the stuffy meeting hall with her advisors. Demanding the day off had gone over half as well as she expected, with few agreeing and others questioning why she needed the time to herself. Concerns of failing health and other outrageous over thinking had occurred which Elsa had managed to quell fairly easily but coming up with a suitable excuse had proven difficult. She couldn't just tell them the truth, because the truth was so unbelievable! How was she supposed to explain to her advisors that she was going on an adventure with the personification of winter weather so she could learn to manage her powers? That wouldn't exactly go over well. Regardless the lie she managed to work up had appeased them, seeing as she told them she would be horse training and drafting letters to House Ingvar.

Elsa stared at the clock as her advisors managed to get the final pieces of business either rescheduled or taken care of. Looking to her lead advisor, Elsa offered a polite nod, "Are we concluded then?" The moment she received a nod of assurance, she pushed herself from the table. "You're all excused then." She nodded to the group and strode outside.

The late morning air was cool and refreshing and it flowed through her veins and awakened the swirling power within her. She felt it stir with the magic in the air, or at least she assumed it was magic, but the one thing she was sure of was it felt like Jack. Now that was an odd thought - the weather just felt like him. The crispness of the air, the inviting and invigorating nature of the light snowfall, overcast sky and the crunch of the snow under her boots: it all just reminded her of him. As she made her way towards the stables she could see her horse being brushed and groomed by the stable hands. Resting casually on one of the stable pen walls, with his hands behind his head and his staff against his arm, was Jack. He looked as relaxed as the day was cool as he lay there, humming some tune she didn't recognize to himself with his eyes closed. Stepping up to the stable boy, Elsa dismissed him and then took the reins and petted her horse gently on the nose. The magnificent beast nickered happily at her, and pressed her head against her hands for more attention, which she happily gave. In truth Elsa was relived to see the beast was alive and uninjured, visions of the night terror had crossed over her mind as she murmured softly to the grey animal.

"Took you long enough Your Majesty, I've been waiting for ages!" She heard Jack complain with a loud groan. She rolled her eyes at his over exaggeration she peeked over her horse and saw that he had draped himself over the stable pen wall, his arms and legs dangling off the edges, as he looked as exasperated as he could. Elsa tried hard to stop the laugh that forced its way up from her throat but couldn't catch it in time. Perking up at the sound of her laughter, Jack lifted his head and smiled that lopsided smile of his before he rolled off the ledge to his feet and wandered up to her and the horse.

Jack watched as the usually steely queen of Arendelle lost herself over the horse. She had been talking to the beast and rubbing its nose and generally fawning over the creature. She seemed to brighten up when she was around it, and she was laughing and giggling and smiling more thanks to this animal and so he got an idea. "Why not bring the horse along?" He suggested which earned him a skeptic look from her Majesty. He shrugged and held his hands out, "Look I'm just suggesting. You're supposed to be out horse riding right?" When Elsa nodded in affirmation, Jack nodded and gestured to the horse, "That would be pretty hard if you left her here now wouldn't it?" He grinned widely at the fact that he had already caught her in her lie to the advisors!

Elsa rolled her eyes at Jack's antics. She simply shrugged and nodded, "Fine then, we'll take her with us." She hopped on the saddle and took the reigns, before gesturing to Jack to lead on. "Lead on then Jokul. Seeing as this is your grand master plan."

He turned to face her, and gave an overly flourishing bow. He held his hand out to the side and spoke in his best formal tone, "After you m'lady!"

She rolled her eyes again with a chuckle; she cracked the reigns and took off down the cobblestone paths, Jack hot on her heels.

The ride was both beautiful and haunting for the Queen of Arendelle, it reminded her of her night terror but the scenery they passed by was breathtaking. She found that she was constantly looking around and behind herself, searching for her assailants and to make sure Jack was close; to her relief he always was and there was no one chasing her.

Aurora, as Elsa had come to call her, ran smoothly and perfectly, the ideal horse for any equestrian activity she may have to participate in. Despite all that had happened between Bjorn and her, this horse was absolutely stunning. When she rode she felt free, like the wind was carrying her and giving speed to her journey to the horizon. To her amusement Aurora seemed to have a competitive streak, as whenever Jack flew just a bit too close she would speed up so she would always be in the lead. A few times Jack had let out protests and would try to overtake the two but with a snort the grey horse would charge forward. Soon they were embroiled in a race to some unknown destination that Jack had planned. He hollered beside them as he ducked, weaved and dashed over the air currents. Elsa threw her head back in joy and laughed as she clutched the reins. She urged her steed to go as fast as her legs would take them; she couldn't let Jack win! Aurora answered her rider's command and thundered down the snow-covered path, her pounding hooves piercing the silence with their war drum beat.

Perhaps it was the cool air, and the wind in her hair, or maybe it was the feeling of freedom that came with riding; or perhaps it was the competition of racing Jack, and the smug knowledge that she was winning but there was something absolutely _thrilling_ about this moment for her. Elsa let go of the reins, giving complete trust into her newfound companion and lifted her hands to the sky as she let out her own whoop of joy. She felt alive, she felt invigorated, and she felt free.

Soon the three burst into a clearing and wound up before a small lake surrounded by trees. Aurora nickered as she walked towards the sparkling water to get a drink only to be frustrated by the thin layer of ice that had settled over the waters surface. With a chuckle Elsa slid from the saddle and moved to inspect the ice and found that with a good push it began to break apart. Aurora let out a bluster of appreciation and leaned down to get a good drink of the cool water. Making it back to her feet, Elsa dusted off her dress and found Jack lounging lazily across Aurora's saddle, his long legs dangling down while his arms fell over his head as he laid completely limp upon the saddle's arch – he looked quite uncomfortable. His staff was dragging against the snow and his chest rose and fell with even breaths as he waited to be acknowledged.

Raising a delicate eyebrow, Elsa leaned down to collect a bit of snow and then balled it up in her hands before lobbing the snowball towards him. It crashed square in the center of his chest and Jack let out an audible groan as he wiggled his toes. Elsa had to raise a hand to stifle her giggling as she watched him slowly sit up and brush the snow from his tunic. A grin soon replaced her giggling as she took in his rather pouty look, "Oh don't tell me you're upset that we beat you Jack."

He blew a particularly long strand of hair out of his eyes with his best impression of a dissatisfied nobleman who didn't get what he wanted. The look was so spot on that the laughter that rang from Elsa was hearty and genuine: she hadn't expected Jack's face to create such a look. His ears seemed to perk up at the sound of her laughter and soon his whole face was alight with the idea of getting her to laugh. He then gracefully slid off the saddle and landed on his bare feet and strode up to the Queen, his staff lounging against his shoulder as he smiled. "Alright then Els, lets see what you got yeah?"

She raised an eyebrow at him as he walked right out onto the surface of the lake, the water froze under his bare feet the moment they made contact. The intricate swirls of ice and frost danced this way and that as he moved just a foot or two out and then turned to shoulder his staff and smile at the Queen. He then shrugged, "Lets see if you can reach me." There was a teasing quality to his voice, like he was daring her to attempt and walk on the water towards him. The ice pulled in from the shoreline and pooled itself just around Jack's feet so Elsa would have to use her own abilities to get to him.

A smug smile tugged at the corners of Elsa's lips and she squared her shoulders and strode right up to the edge of the small lake and set her foot upon the liquid surface. She felt her power surge out and onto the surface of the water but whenever she put any pressure upon the ice it would give way and dissipate. Twice she nearly lost her balance and stumbled in.* She pulled her brows together in frustration at the surprising lack of control she seemed to have over something so trivial. She had done it before with no issue on her coronation day so why wasn't it working now? Frustration overtook the queen and she closed her eyes to try and focus her power into the soles of her feet and with as much confidence as she could muster she set her foot upon the surface. A moment of elation shot through her as she felt the ice condense and sturdy itself beneath her, but it was short lived. A split second later it gave way and she fumbled forward, ready to face plant into the cold water but luckily a hand was there to catch her.

"Woah there Highness! Easy! Don't want to ruin that dress of yours now do we?" She heard Jack chuckle as he helped her balance on the stable earth. Pushing away with a sigh of frustration Elsa moved from Jack, her arms wrapping around herself as she glared down at the snow.

"I don't understand why it isn't working." She grit out as she pulled her hands out to glare at them instead. She flexed her fingers and looked at her palms, hoping the answer would write itself on her flesh. Yet her hands gave her no answers. Her powers simply weren't working today and that was excessively odd, the one-day she's allowed to actually use them they decide to just vanish? Was her life that ironic?

Unbeknownst to the Queen, Jack was watching as frost began to form around her feet and spread to the powdered snow that was around her. The frost condensed and began to spike upwards as if being fed by the frustration that was rolling off her in waves. His eyes went from the frost up to Elsa and then back to the frost as he got a thought – perhaps her emotions were the key. With a few long strides he made it to her side and gripped her arm firmly before tugging her back towards the water. Elsa let out a startled cry of surprise as she protested and tried to wriggle herself free. Her hand swatted at his arm in a futile attempt to get his hand off of her but Jack's grip was iron. He strode them up towards the lake and then he himself stepped upon the surface and tried to tug Elsa along with him but she wrenched her arm free just in time. "What are you doing!" She demanded with an edge to her voice, looking rather startled at the sudden forceful nature Jack had taken.

He shook his head and tried to urge her to come towards him, "Just come on Elsa, trust me okay? Just take all that frustration you feel and just come at me." He moved his hands to try and coax her forward but she wasn't having any of that.

Her arms instead crossed over her chest as she glared at him, "I'll fall in Jack." She deadpanned at him but was answered with a groan.

Again Jack tried to coax her with a few arm motions, "Not this time, just trust me okay? Just come at me, and you'll be fine. I promise."

Elsa stood rooted in the spot, glaring daggers at him. He just didn't understand the situation at hand. Her powers weren't going to hold her up; they hadn't then why would they now? She just wasn't strong enough with them, and they were unpredictable. She was unpredictable. Her arms wrapped around her center and she looked off to the side, "It won't work Jack…I can't control my powers."

She heard Jack groan hard and she could see the exasperated look on his face without even having to look at him. She didn't want to look at him because it was embarrassing; he was skilled and able to call his powers at a whim, she just didn't have that kind of mastery. She wrapped her arms around herself tighter and sighed softly as she shook her head, "It won't work Jack…"

"What do you mean it won't work? You're doing it right now." Her head snapped up and over to him. He was standing a few feet out on the surface of the lake, a small bit of ice keeping him up but all before him swirled the intricate designs of her own personal frost. It emanated from her, rushing out from around her feet and moving to overtake the water and the soft earth at the edge; leaving her mark upon the ground and the water. Her eyes went wide as she watched her powers spring to life. She looked up at Jack in confusion and tried multiple times to ask him a question. Instead she just stood with her mouth agape. Jack shrugged and moved to stride over the ice she had created only to stop right before her. The smile on his face was warm and understanding, "Its okay Els, really." He then looked back over his shoulder with a shrug, "It looks like your powers are connected to your emotions. So we just have to find away to use them when you're happy and not scared or frustrated." He then looked back to her and grinned, "So we'll just have to work on it."

She wanted to smack him for his constant acceptance of her unpredictable powers. She wanted to ask him how to control them and hope he could make all the problems go away with a snap of his fingers. She wanted to impress him with fantastic displays like she had up on the North Mountain– wait, what? Her brows furrowed as that thought crossed her mind and she quickly had to avert her eyes and tilt her head down to look away from him. She wanted to impress him? Why? There was no reason for her to want to impress the personification of winter; there was no way she could. She heard him chuckle and then let out a whistle and she raised her eyes to see him looking towards the lake. Looking back she saw that it was completely covered over by now, the intricate patterns of her frost dancing across the surface in the most beautiful of ways.

"Now that's impressive. I don't even think I can do that from way over here." He half muttered under his breath but then realized that she could hear him and quickly caught his slip up. "I mean, of course I could. I'm Jack Frost." He grinned then to try and hide his appreciation of her work but it shone through his eyes.

Elsa felt herself blush as she watched his face, which was alight with a smile of his. He looked so honestly impressed by her work and like everything around him was new and exciting. His awe struck her and before she knew what she was doing, her hands were rising to press against him in some way.

Their bodies never touched however because as she was looking at him, Elsa noticed the way the shadows and the light danced off his hair and face. She looked up and caught a glimpse of the sky and the deep oranges and reds of early dusk. A gasp escaped her as she quickly moved away and hustled back to Aurora, who was busy munching on a bit of grass she had found through the snow. Elsa climbed atop the saddle, took the reigns and turned the horse around toward the castle. She smiled towards Jack, "Sorry Jack, but I wasn't able to cancel dinner..." She frowned at his disappointed look and tried to quickly make up for it. "See you tomorrow though, right?"

That crooked grin overtook the frown on his face and he nodded with a shrug, "I suppose I'll have to make time for you. I mean I'm soooo busy after all." His grin perked up a bit as he heard her try and stifle a laugh. He then gave another overly flourishing bow only to straighten and stick his nose high into the air, trying to look as pomp and proper as he could. "Off you go then mi'lady, don't want you late for your evening meal."

Elsa rolled her eyes at him, "See you tomorrow then Jack. Good night." And with the slightest bit of hesitation she took off down the road and back towards the castle. Jack sighed as he watched her go and reached up to rub the back of his head as his gaze roamed up to the sky. If only there had been just a little more time in the day for them to spend together.

* * *

*Twice she almost fell in – My personal head cannon is that Elsa's powers are very emotionally based. She had no emotional need to get to Jack at that moment in time and thus her powers didn't respond.


	11. Rekindled Hope

A/N: Finally got this chapter up! Thank you all for reading along and enjoying the story.

Pay attention to clocks, those pesky things.

Wonder what Horatio's been up too...

* * *

Fleeting Moments

"Tempus enim non cessat. Time Stops for no man Jack Frost."

Chapter 11

"Rekindled Hopes"

* * *

Elsa sat quietly in her study around midday. She was busy looking over a few trade reports and each one needed her signature before they left her desk. The once beautiful oak piece of furniture was now overflowing with parchments, maps and letters; one wrong move and the whole thing would collapse under its own weight.

She sat back in her chair with a sigh and rubbed at her forehead to try to ease the throb from her temples; she had another nightmare last night. Each one was unique in location and intensity but the events were usually the same: she was running from something, or someone, and they always caught her in the end. With hardly any sleep under her belt, the Queen was having a hard time focusing on the task at hand. Several countries had requested trade and she needed to discuss the benefits and flaws with her trade advisors.

Elsa heaved a hard sigh and managed to sign the final document on her desk without her head exploding from the stress; the mountain of work was over with and she could finally relax. She sank into the cushioned chair, and allowed her mind to wander. She wondered what Anna was doing right now. Was she out on a date or still asleep? Elsa looked to the clock and found that it was a lot later in the day than she had thought: so there was no way Anna could still be asleep. Now that she thought about it, Anna hadn't come by yet: she always made a point to visit her in the height of royal drudgery. With a push from the desk, Elsa made her way to the door and right as she was about to open it, the hard wood swung open and smacked her right in the nose. She stumbled back and held her hand to her nose with a groan. She was about to yell at whoever had hit her when she was swept up in a familiar hug. "Oh Elsa I'm so sorry! I didn't mean – I didn't know you were – oh are you okay?!"

Anna fussed over her sister who had pulled back enough to pry Elsa's hands from her nose to inspect the damage. A small trickle of blood began to fall and before Elsa could even think of a protest she was yanked back to her chair and thrust into it. Anna was a whirlwind around her study, her strawberry blond hair flapping with her motions as she ran around looking for something to stem the bleeding. She managed to find one of her sisters paint rags and rushed back to press it to Elsa's face roughly. Elsa waved her sister off in frustration and took the rag. She held it in place while Anna stood by in absolute mortification at what she had done. Apologies fumbled from her mouth before she could stop them and it took a good few minutes to calm her down. "Anna – Anna – ANNA." Elsa had to say her name firmly to get her to quiet down. "Its okay. Really." She tried her best to smile and when she pulled the rag from her nose found that it wasn't bleeding nearly as hard as she thought it was. "See? No harm done. Look its already stopping."

While the reassurances had managed to put her sister at ease she still looked upset. "I didn't mean to hit you…I should have knocked and called through the door I'm so sorry. I was just coming to see you and— "

"Anna, please. Its okay." Elsa tried to reassure her with a smile, "I was about to go look for you anyway."

That little tidbit lit Anna's face up like a warm summers day and the warmth that radiated from her manifested itself in a massive smile. Her gaze was quickly averted towards the desk and she sighed at seeing the mountainous pile of papers and letters resting there. "Elsa you really need to take a break from this…I mean look at all that paperwork! You're going to drive yourself insane!" She groaned like the stack of papers physically hurt her.

Elsa shook her head at her sister's exasperation of her job and smiled before reaching forward to pat the back of her hand. "Its fine, I actually just managed to finish it all and –" She looked towards the grand father clock to her left and smiled, "We still have an hour before dinner."

Anna rolled her eyes, "Thank the gods you finished earlier than the past few days. Your little 'mental health day' put the castle in quite the stir." She fixed her sister with a knowing look, and grinned. "So what were you doing that had you away from your duties, Your Highness?"

No matter how many times it happened Elsa was always surprised at how perceptive Anna was. She could see through her like glass and read her like an open book – perhaps that's what sister did? Elsa looked away and put on her best nonchalant look and shrugged her shoulders, "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

That peaked Anna's interest. She scooted closer to her sister, making a point to push papers off her desk so she could sit there and lean close. Elsa had been dodging the question for a while now; she wasn't going to let it drop. "Oooh?" She said in the same knowing tone. "Was he cute?"

Elsa's eyebrows shot up in surprise and her mouth fell agape as she looked at her sister with a dumbfounded look. Did Anna follow them? Did she know about Jack? Would she judge her if she did? Thousands of questions ran through her mind as she tried to think of something to say and by not saying anything the knowing grin on Anna's face just grew wider. "So he was cute! Oh oh oh! Tell me, tell me, TELL ME!" Anna was bouncing off the desk with excitement. It rolled off of her in waves as she gripped her sisters hands and pulled them close to share this little secret.

Elsa rolled her eyes and tried to play it down, not wanting her sister to think she had lost her mind. "Well, I was out riding with Aurora and lets just say a certain imaginary friend happened to tag along."

An ear-piercing screech of excitement cut through the study. That was another thing Elsa still wasn't used to: Anna tended to squeal when she was overly excited. She covered her ears and flinched due to their close proximity. She tried to calm her down, "Anna, Anna – easy. I still need to hear."

Yet her sister was over the moon with elation. She threw her hands up in triumph and smiled brightly down at her sister, "See?! I told you! You didn't believe me but I told you so! Who's right? I am! Wooo!" She moved her shoulders in her victory dance as she celebrated her triumph. She told Elsa a few months ago during one of her blue spells that Jack would come around and at the time she hadn't believed, but look what happened. Jack had shown up and now she had to pay the price: Anna wasn't going to let her live this one down.

With a shake of her head and a hand squeeze Elsa tried to pull her sister back down into the real world. Once the giggle fit had ended Anna looked on expectantly, waiting for the answer to all the unasked questions rolling through her mind. "Soooo…?" She began, trying to coax the whole story out of her elder sister.

Elsa pulled in a deep breath, and recounted the story. "After Bjorn had left…I went to my room and – well I kind of fell into my old habits." She began. She had to pat Anna's hand to help quell her worried expression. "Well when I looked up at my window there he was, clear as day. And I went over to let him in – not like that!" She swatted at Anna's arm to try and stop the eyebrow wiggling she was receiving. Anna grinned but didn't pipe in, allowing her sister to finish the story. "And well I didn't think he was real – I mean who would have thought he'd show up that night of all nights?" Elsa found herself staring at a spot on the ceiling as she muttered. "And well I sort of….broke down….because I was sure I was going insane thanks to his sudden appearance." When Anna gave her a concerned look she smiled and tried to defuse it, "Well he stayed with me for a few hours to make sure I was okay and then took off so I could sleep."

She left out one tiny detail about her reunion with Jack: he had held her in his arms. While she loved Anna dearly that was one detail she wished to keep to herself; she wanted it to be their little secret. Her mind wandered off back to that night, when she was curled in his lap, her hands against his chest as she laid her emotions bare before him. He took it with a quiet understanding and held her until she let go and relented their hold. She remembered how warm he felt, like he had just come from sitting by a warm fireplace; she recalled it was comforting and inviting. She remembered how his tunic had smelled like a cool day in the forest, with fresh pine and the coolness of the air; the thought made her ears burn with a blush. It wasn't lady like to think such things. Yet her mind lingered on the feelings she had felt when within Jack's arms; it felt right. She shook her head and mentally reprimanded herself for thinking it: it wasn't right to think about him in that way. She barely knew Jack, and he was a figure of myth and legend – how could she possibly love and be loved by a myth? Yet he was corporeal, he was real and she felt him when he held her. Her mind swirled with questions, doubts, and fears and she felt her heart wither at the assaulting logic. Besides, what if he left again? She didn't know if she could handle that if she let herself feel anything other than friendship towards him.

Elsa returned her gaze to her sister once she remembered she wasn't alone and found Anna giving her a skeptical look. She tried to smile and defuse the tension that had settled in her shoulders before patting her sisters hand. "Well the next morning he showed up and demanded that we go out so he could help me with my powers."

That skeptic look on Anna's face grew ten fold as she eyed her sister up and down, the slightest hint of a smirk forming on the right side of her lips. "So he took you on a date?"

A blush pooled within Elsa's cheeks as she let the question dangle. She hadn't wanted to label it with the term 'date' but during that day she had called it that. Hearing it aloud was a different story now. She shook her head, trying to force the blush from her cheeks and quell her rapidly beating heart, "No it wasn't a date, more like a training exercise."

Anna rolled her eyes and laughed at that lame excuse, "Oh yes, of _course! _It was _training!_" She then leaned forward and puckered her lips together, "Training your lips."

"ANNA!" Elsa shrieked in embarrassment as she smacked her sister on the knee. The two burst into a giggle fit, and after a good long laugh they eased into a comfortable silence.

Slowly Anna leaned forward and set a hand upon her sister's shoulder and gave it a squeeze, "What else happened? Anything good?"

Her sister shrugged then, waving the question off. "No, not much. He said my powers are tied to my emotions, which I suppose could be true. He tried to get me to freeze a lake so I could walk on it."

Anna's deadpan and unimpressed look caused a grin to form on Elsa's face. "What? It was very relevant." She tried to explain but Anna wasn't going to take that for an answer.

"Oh come on Elsa, _please!" _She groaned while rolling her whole head backwards before leaning over to look at her sister. "He just wanted you to fall in so your dress would get wet."

"ANNA! He was a perfect gentleman!"

"I know its so unlike me."

The two sisters started when they heard the voice and their gaze quickly latched onto the figure crouching outside the window. For Elsa it was a relief to see Jack, but for Anna? The poor girl was beside herself in absolute shock. "He's real…" She muttered and Jack gave her an offended look.

"Of course I'm real. What did you think that Elsa just made me up?" He really did look hurt by that statement and Elsa had to step in to calm the situation down.

"She didn't mean to offend you Jack. This is just her first time seeing you is all." She smiled between the two and after giving Anna's hand a gentle squeeze got up to open the large window and allow Jack in. His long legs stretched through the threshold and in a few short steps he was halfway in the room. His hand was stuffed in the front of his tunic as he looked around Elsa's sanctuary. He wandered up to the ceiling high bookshelves and let his eyes trail over the writing on the spines, acting as if it were completely normal to crawl in through the window and into the Queen's study.

Anna, on the other hand, still had her mouth agape as she watched him. She couldn't wrap her mind around the idea that Jack Frost was an actual being. Sure she would always believe Elsa whenever she confided in her but for the most part she assumed he was just her mythical muse that brought her comfort and solace when she was alone. She just assumed he was her inspiration when she painted or wrote her poetry but not that he was actually _**real. **_

So Anna did the only logical thing she could think of: she hopped right off the desk, strode up to him and poked him as hard as she could in the arm. "Ouch!" Jack protested, his body recoiling away from her in both shock and surprised pain as he raised his arms to defend his center. Confusion laced over his face as he stared at Anna with those blue eyes of his and for a moment the two were locked in a staring contest. Anna eyed him up, as if inspecting to see if he were good enough to be hanging around her sister; whereas Jack was trying to figure out what she was doing to him. "Its impolite to stare." Jack said simply, which earned a grin from the younger of the two sisters.

"I suppose you're good enough." She then gave him a quick look over before pointing an accusing finger up at Jack, which caused him to raise his chin and his hands to show he was harmless. "Just don't hurt my sister."

Jack rolled his eyes and then moved to push Anna's hand down. "Believe me I wouldn't dream of it. Wouldn't want this little firebrand all over my case."

Anna retracted her hand and cradled it to her chest with a frown, "You're hands are freezing!" She said in surprise as she rubbed her cold digits with the other hand.

Jack snickered and wiggled his fingers to scare her, "Of course they are, I'm Jack Frost!"

While the whole ordeal between her sister and Jack was taking place Elsa hadn't stopped smiling. She had hoped one day they could meet and she couldn't have imagined it going any different than it was now. Their dynamic was already perfect and they were hysterical to watch. Elsa felt her chest warm up at the protective nature Anna displayed for her; she was even more touched to know that Jack wouldn't dream of harming her. However their banter was quickly turning into something a little more heated than it needed to be and so she had to break it up.

Elsa put herself between the two and took hold of Anna's hand, which had come up to threateningly point at Jack again. "Anna, dear, its okay. Really it is." She then looked over to the grandfather clock and smiled, "Would you look at the time, I do believe Kristoff is supposed to be getting back from his ice run and I'm sure you don't want to mi—"

"Is it four already?!" Anna shrieked as she looked towards the clock with wide eyes. "Oh no I'm going to be late!" She leaned forward and kissed Elsa on the cheek before pointing to Jack, then her eyes, then back to him. Jack let out a chuckle and nodded his head in understanding and held up his hands to show he was harmless. Regardless of the answer Anna swept out of the room like the tempest she was, leaving the two alone.

A brief silence fell between the Guardian and the Queen as they both watched Anna go. Elsa smiled and turned to look at him as she bowed her head a bit, "Sorry about that. Anna can be a little…-"

"Much?" Jack supplied which earned a laugh from the Queen and then a smack in the arm.

"She's my sister Jack, don't talk about her like that!" She scolded him lightly while she tried to suppress the smirk that danced on her lips.

Jack returned the grin and shrugged his shoulders, "Look I'm just saying. Who walks up to a guy and pokes him as hard as they can!"

One of Elsa's delicate hands rose to cover the laugh that escaped from her. She shook her head and then reached out to smooth the arm where he had been poked. "Oh come now Jack, it couldn't have hurt that bad." She shook her head, smile softening a little as she mused, "Besides, she wasn't expecting to actually see you."

Jack looked down at the Queen, confusion settling into his eyes. "Don't you tell her about me?" He asked, a little hurt underlying his curious tone.

"Of course I do Jack, but this is the first time she's seen you." She smiled, trying to reassure him a little. "Besides she always thought you were just my muse."

His expression perked a little at that and a coy smile played over his face, "Oh? Do I inspire you to create great works of art with my devilishly good looks?" He then gave her his best and most charming smile – which looked absolutely ridiculous.

Elsa laughed heartily at his antics and playfully smacked his shoulder, and to her surprise some frost danced around the spot on his sleeve. "Oh stop that. You look absurd!"

The most over exaggerated heartbroken look filtered over Jack's face and he quite over dramatically gripped his chest as if in pain. He stumbled back, acting up that she had broken his delicate male sensibilities with her wicked words. "Oh cruel fate! The Queen has spurned my advances and struck me with her terrible powers! I resign to my fate!" He began to wilt under his own weight, his knees bending as he dramatically fell to the floor, clutching his arm where she had struck him. "Tell…my sister…I love her…" And as he finally fell to the ground Jack let out the most obnoxious death rattle she had ever heard.

The whole ordeal had been quite amusing and a grin hadn't left Elsa's face the whole time and when he fell to the ground she rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Jack, get up." She nudged his leg with her foot to try and get him to move. "You are being ridiculous. Come on, get up."

He didn't move however, his whole body going limp no matter how hard she tapped his arm with her foot. Elsa rolled her eyes and jabbed him rather hard in the ribs and to her surprise he didn't move! "Can't hear you Els. I'm dead." He said quickly before letting his head lull to the side in an attempt to look 'deader.'

"You're ridiculous but fine." She said before sucking in a breath and allowing herself to play along – it was too much fun not too after all. "I have slain this mischievous sprite with my mighty abilities. So I think I'll just take this –" She leaned down and snatched up his staff which had fallen next to his side. To her surprise all the frost that had settled upon the wood vanished the moment her fingers touched it. "As a war trophy. It will look fine on my mantle!" And with that she shouldered the wooden staff and sauntered back to her desk. It was lighter than she expected and she could feel the little grooves where his fingers had caused a dip in the surface. Leaning her new war trophy against her chair she sat down, a grin playing on her lips: now to see what Jack was going to do.

"You can't just take my staff." She heard him protest after a few moments, which forced the grin to widen just a bit on her lips.

"Sorry Jack, you're dead, I can't hear you." She retorted, turning his excuse back on him. His chuckle reached her ears and after a moment she heard him groan as he got up. He walked over and then leaned his long body against the back of her chair, his head resting on his folded arms atop the back of the chair. He looked down to see her writing a few things on a piece of parchment with her fountain pen and silence came between them.

It wasn't an awkward silence; it was actually quite relaxing and nice. Neither of them needed to speak nor wanted to as they simply enjoyed the quietness of their company. Elsa set that piece of parchment aside, and then the fountain pen, "Don't you have somewhere to be Jack? Its impolite to hover over the Queen while she works." She was teasing him and for a moment Elsa relished in the idea of being able to actually tease someone. She could tease Anna sure, but those moments were few and far between, but with Jack it was second nature to poke fun at him.

She felt his shoulders shrug as he leaned himself more heavily against the chair, causing it to scoot forward just a bit. "I cleared my busy schedule in order to come and see you. And then you had to audacity to slay me in your study. I would say that's meaner than me hovering."

Elsa laughed lightly at that, her head shaking as she finally looked up to see him. The way his head rested upon his arms and the carefree look in his eyes caused blood to pool into her cheeks as she smiled up at him. He was handsome there was no denying it, and that playful nature was almost contagious! She couldn't be serious with him, or at least not for very long. She'd try and then he'd crack that lopsided grin and she'd loose any stern or serious tone. He awoke something carefree in her, something young and alive and free; she found she didn't want to loose that feeling.

Their moment was cut short however by the grandfather clock on the far wall. It rang five times, the deep baritone chime cutting through their thoughts with a resounding gong. Elsa broke their eye contact to peer at the old timepiece, "It's been an hour already?" and then sighed before returning her grey blue eyes back to Jack. "I'm sorry Jack but its time for dinner."

She sounded almost hesitant to leave. Jack shrugged and then pulled the seat back and held his hand out to help her up. With a smile she took it and once on her feet smoothed out her dress and gave a small contented sigh. "I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked her hand still gripped in his.

He smiled and nodded, "I'll meet you here? Then we can decide what to do for the day and I can sweep you away from all this drudgery." He gave a wide sweep of his arm to indicate the entirety of the room.

Elsa laughed before nodding and then walked over towards the window to see him off, not realizing their hands were still well in contact. As Jack climbed atop the bench and couched outside the window, he turned and smiled. "See you tomorrow Els."

"Goodbye Jack." And as the wind swept him away their hands parted and for the first time in a long time, Elsa's hand actually felt cold.


End file.
